Soul Destruction Torturous Trust
by Bayleef
Summary: The year 7025 A.D., and Yugi Mouto is a yami with very little memory of his past. But when a girl offers to let him see his past, will he and his hikari Yujhi, trust her and her Millennium Necklace? And what of Ryoura Bakura's secret past...?
1. Prologue

Hey Guys! Hope yaz understand all this. I'm putting up some sort of series thing with this story (It's the new Freedom of the Phoenix. AHH!) and then I'll do the final story. Kk? This ones sorta planned, and so's the next one. Yaz'll probably like the next, lotsa o' Ryoura and Bakura involved ANYVAY! Hope yaz like this.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Prologue **

"So... this is the boy who owns the Millennium Puzzle?" The girl asked, looking at the picture of Yujhi in her hands. She was tall, with long straight hair held back by a thin metal hairband, had a grey tube top and grey pedal-pushers. Her trainers were silver, but with a mix of white, and she wore a gold neckless arond her neck.

Another voice spoke up, it's own sitting the opposite side of the darkened room. "That's right Ilia, and the name of the spirit of the puzzle is Yugi, though you probably already knew that. Right?"

"Of corse I did." Ilia snapped. "Yugi Motou, former King of Games and hikari of Atemu, former _Pharaoh_ of Egypt, also known as Yami."

"Quit showing off." The taunting voice said, in a tone sugesting a grin. "What are you planning to do?"

"What, your not gonna help me?"

"So the almight Ilia Ishtar can't steel a Millennium Item without the help of her little brother?" Ilia's brother smirked to himself, admiring his own Millennium Item, the Millennium Rod. Both the Millennium Necklace and the Millennium Rod had been given to Ishizu Ishtar, who passed the items down through generations.

Unfortunately, both possosers of the items now had no intention of protecting the world, as opposed to ruling it.

"Fine, I'll do it by myself!" Ilia snapped, storming off and burying the picture in one of her pockets. She raised her hand to the necklace around her neck, running her finger over the Millennium symbol. _"The Puzzle WILL be mine..."_

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"Yugi are you ok?" Yujhi asked, looking at his yami with concern. The where sitting in Yujhi's bedroom, both having there own solid form at tat time. Yujhi was at his desk doing homework while Yugi was lyinh on the bed with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm?" was Yugi's only response. He was pretty deep in thought. Yujhi stood up and sat next to him, snapping his fingers in front of Yugi's face until he got a little of his attention. "Why are you so spaced out lately?"

Yugi looked up at Yujhi and sighed, closing his eyes. "I dunno... It's just that... that night in the hospital, it turns out someone had taken over Joe..."

Yujhi nodded in nderstanding, even though he'd heard all this before.

"And... the person looked alot like him. Like Joe I mean, only their accent was different. But the weird thing is... I felt like I knew him... I know I've known him, but I can't remember..." Yugi opening his eyes, staring at the ceiling again. "I wish I knew more..."

Sighing, Yujhi put his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find out your past some day, I promise." Yugi looked up at him for a minute, then smiled. "Thanks."

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From outside, Ilia's grinned sinisterly. She had heard their conversation with the help of her Item's magic. "Perfect..."

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To Be Continued

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Ok, crappy Prologue, but whacha gonna do? Hope it's ok enough. Ah! More evil Ishtars! I was actually gonna pick someone with the Millennium Eye, but this one makes more sense   
Hope yaz liked it, please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	2. Kaiba's Blue Eyes

Ok guys, sorry if this chappy sucks... I don't think it'll be that good. Ah well, read on!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter One - Kaiba's Blue Eyes **

Steve Kaiba narrowed his eyes in concentration as he moved his hands to move the ones visible on the screen. He was wearing some sort of sunglasses, giving him a large view of an actually tiny invention. It was very hard and intricate work, but, being a Kaiba, work was always going to be hard.

Kaiba Corp., which now took up a large amount of the city (including free space), was the centre of more then just amusement parks and gaming facilities, even though that was still it's main priority. Now they made modes of transport, computer programmes, robots, the lot. And being the technological age he lived in, they where a very popular company.

Right now Steve's father was off on vacation, leaving Steve to take care of the company. Steve's father was his only living relative. The whereabouts of his mother unknown since she abandoned him with he was two years old. He wondered at times why she did such a thing, but his father just told him she never wanted a child and couldn't take the responsibility.

Now that his father was gone, it left him with a lot more work, so he couldn't find much time to hang around with Yujhi and the others. It didn't bother him though. The work took his mind off everything, it always fascinated him to see the old machine designs in his spare time and to work on new inventions.

The reason he was so absorbed in his work was because of a strange dream he'd been getting lately. It was _really_ weird, and he had no idea what it meant or where it came from.

Later that night, he had the same dream again.

-----------

_"Wha? What's going on?"_ Steve looked around him, but saw nothing but darkness. It felt like he was floating under water, pressure of the darkness all around him, slowing his motions as though through liquid. Suddenly, there was a bright flash in front of him. He through his arms up in front of him to shield his eyes from the light.

When the light dimmed, he looked forward cautiously, only catching a glimpse of some sort of golden staff. On it was a symbol similar to the one of Yujhi's Millennium Puzzle and Ryoura's Millennium Ring. In the background, though, stood Yugi, Yujhi and a few hidden humans. No sooner had be opened his eyes had the setting changed completely.

He found himself standing in the middle of a coliseum, a cheering crowd surrounding him. Looking around wildly, he felt something on his arm. Looking down, he spotted an old fashioned Duel Disk strapped around his wrist with his deck included. "What's going on?" He whispered. The dream usually ended there, but it went for longer this time. Looking up, his eyes grew wide. "S-Seto?"

Everyone knew about Seto Kaiba, he was the next thing to a legend for his inventions and changes to Kaiba Corp. from a military company to a gaming one. Steve himself had been told countless times he looked just like him, and to be remembered after five thousand years was something special.

Seto stood opposite the field, arms folded and head down. He opened his eyes and looked seriously as Steve, eyes slightly narrowed. "Steve, there's a lot ahead of you. Yujhi going to need your help if he's to find Yugi's past."

"What?" Steve looked at Seto, confusion clear in his expression. Seto walked across the duel field and stood in front of him, glaring down at him. He was a good head taller then Steve, and his expression was icy cold. They both kept eye contact, neither moving a muscle for a what seemed like forever, before Seto held a card in front of Steve's face.

"You'll need these." He said, handing the cards to Steve and closing his grip on them. Steve looked down at his hands, but he the cards where face down in his hand. Seto moved his hands away and took a few steps back, smirking. "Oh and uh, tell Wheeler he look just like the mutt, would you?"

A bright flash enveloped the area, blinding Steve's vision.

-----------

Steve sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily. It took him a moment of panicking to realise where he was, before he calmed down. "What a weird dream..." He mumbled, putting his hand on his forehead. What was that all about?

Seto Kaiba? Of all the people to have in a dream, it was someone how'd been dead for who knows how many millennia. Why was he dreaming about this? What did it mean?

His opened his eyes as these thoughts ran through his mind, but as soon as he did they grew wide. "Wh-whats going on?" His voice was shaky as he held up the cards in his hand. There was no one else in the house, just him, and his deck was at the other side of the room. How'd they get there?

Curiously, though still slightly startled, he turned the cards over, almost dropping them when he saw them. "Blue Eye's White Dragon?!" He almost yelled from shock, looking at the cards in his hand. These cards had seemingly disappeared; no one knew where they were before now. All three Blue Eye's White Dragon cards, the only three in existence, and he had them. The where perfect to, undamaged, not one scratch, bend or mark of any sort. His HAD to be some sort of trick.

But it wasn't, he knew it wasn't, these cards where the real deal no matter what anyone said. _"But why do I have them?"_ Steve thought, still not taking his eyes of the cards. "Did... did Seto really give them to me? How could he? He's not even alive..."

_"Sometimes the rule must be broken, in order to help a friend. This is one of those times Steven Kaiba. Don't lose those cards, they may be needed to unlock Yugi's past..."_

Steve stood up, looking around wildly for the source of the voice, but it had come from all around. It wasn't Seto, the voice sounded nothing like him. It was a little deeper, but sounded friendly. "Who's there?" He called, but the voice had faded away. Steve stood once again in the deep silence of the night.

"Who are you...?"

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Yujhi groaned and rolled over in bed, facing away from the soon. "Five more minutes mom..."

Yugi raised an eyebrow at his hikari's comment, shaking him lightly again. "Yujhi you lazy twit, it's eleven fifty!"

"Then twenty more minutes..."

Rolling his eyes, Yugi sighed heavily. Yujhi was _impossible_. He was supposed to be meeting Steve in the park at twelve, but at this rate it was obvious he'd be late. Deciding against Yujhi's complaining, he took control and let his hikari sleep a bit longer. He instinctively picked up the deck and put it un his pocket before heading out.

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Steve sat in the park by the fountain, looking at the Blue Eye's White cards in his hands. He was still rattled by the dream last night, and decided to talk to Yujhi about it. That morning his had even checked the Blue Eye's cards, they where definitely the real thing.

Looking at his watch, he frowned. "12:05, knew it." He side and lay back on the grass, staring at the sky. Why was Yujhi always late when Steve had to talk to him the most.

"He won't be long, about ten more minutes or so."

"Wha?" Steve looked beside him and jumped a little. _"Where'd she come from?"_ There was a girl sitting beside him, eyes also directed towards the sky. She hadn't been there a second ago. "Wh-"

"My name is Ilia." She said, not even waiting for him to finish his question. Steve sat up and looked over at her. "I don't want anything." He answered, again not waiting for the question. She looked over at him and smiled slyly. "Steve Kaiba right?"

Steve looked at her curiously. This girl was kind of freaky. "Ya, what's it to you?"

"Hmm, rumour was right, you are pretty cute." Ilia commented, grinning at Steve's confused yet embarrassed expression. She wasn't lying though, for once. To bad he was friends with the enemy. "Tell Yujhi that if he wants help with his darker sides past, he better meet me here, in the park, at midnight tonight. Got it? ... Oh, and he better come alone."

"What?" Steve was a little taken aback by what she said. "But-"

"And one more thing."

Steve's eyes grew wide as she pressed her lips quickly against his. It wasn't just a quick kiss either, but Steve found himself unable to move. _"What the heck is going on?!"_ He yelled in his mind. Seconds later she pulled away, but he was still unable to move much. She smirked and as she did so, placed her hand on the necklace she was wearing. Looking closely, Steve noticed the millennium symbol. "What's-"

"It's the Millennium Necklace, which has the ability to see into the past, and sometimes the future." Ilia answered, smiling. "_That's_ why you couldn't move, parlaying spell. Didn't want you running off now did I?" She laughed quickly to herself and stood up, just as Steve was no longer paralysed. He stood up quickly, and was just about ready to give her a piece of his mind when... she was gone. "What? Where'd...?" He looked around angrily, growling in anger. "I swear if she comes near me again..."

All thoughts of the kiss left him momentarily as the Millennium Necklace came to mind. _"See into the past? She_could _see Yugi's past! But... I don't trust her... I better ask Yujhi about this..."_ He turned and walked towards Yujhi's house, knowing he'd meet him on the way there anyway. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve in frustration. "Girls..."

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"You know your not supposed to do stuff like that Ilia..."

Ilia was sitting sideways on a couch, twirling a few strands of hair around her forefinger. "I don't see any specific rule against kissin' a cute guy."

"Just remember-"

"I know bro, emotions are for the weak." She sighed, closing her eyes. "At least I'm doing something. Why aren't you trying to get the Millennium Puzzle before me? I _could_ be the one that ends up ruling the world." He brother remained silent for a moment.

"I have my own plans for the Mouto's..." He whispered, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. The Millennium Rod in his hand shined in a stray light, and he chuckled. _"My sisters attempts are in vain... the Millennium Puzzle will be mine..."_

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To Be Continued

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Ok... that is one crap chappy.... Why I made Ilia like him, I dunno. I'll try and make it play a part in further chappys.  
As you may have guessed, this is based more around Steve, Yugi, Yujhi and Ilia. Sorry if it turns out crap the idea is still in development ; Hope this chappy was tolerable, please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	3. Yugi's Rejection

Hey guys! I'm in a better mood then I was writtin' the last chappy. Happyhappyhappy! Wanna know why? I GOT MY SUMMER HOLS YESTERDAY! jumps around cheering Yay! heheee, so as much as I resented it in the past, even if I don' wanna I'm gonna work on me stories! They's part of my world and I love my little world It's full or plot, chibis, FAIRIES, plushies, pokémon, duel monsters, the lot! Heehee, but Ryoura? He won't stay out!  
**Ryoura:** I love plushies!  
He's on sugar high...  
**Ryoura:** Fear my Kuriboh and Eevee army! Bwahahaha!  
Take it easy I'm talkin' to the readers.  
**Ryoura:** You have readers? looks at all of you Hi people!  
Go chase the fairies Ryoura.  
**Ryoura:** Fairies! Runs off  
Ok. The chappy name's weird, but I couldn't think of nout else ; Ryoura likes it though, tis coz of his shirt... Thankies for reviewin' the last chappy, you guys rock!

**Response to Reviews:**  
**Chicary:** Well, Seto didn't really get nicer, he just... wanted to help ; me nono, I have a habit on messin' up characters, just look at what I did to Bakura!

**Red Roses2-chan:** Lol, well Ilia will be gettin' within a mile o' Steve, coz otherwise the story would be to hard to work out ; Though I will admit, the freezin' thing was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I don't even know where it came from...

**YumeTakato:** welp, like I said, I finally got the holidays, so I'll try to work on my stories even more 

**gladdecease:** Yugi won't see the Blue Eye's for a while, but they may spark a memory or two This fast enough?

**Pooka228:** Well you can interpret charry's pretty well can't ya? Hope yaz like the chappy!

**Yami Silverdramon:** This ones better... Ya think so? This ones a big mystery to me ; I know how it ends, but how to get there...? PROBLEM! Heehee, glad yaz liked 

**Ashla:** Suey-anna, your just sayin' that coz we is related. Please note, criticism has become a very good thing in my books coz of my English teacher. Ok? Remember to crit', that's your job as a sister!

**Una1:** I don't think Ilia and Steve are a bad pair at all In fact, when Seto and Ishizu first met and she said 'one more thing' before she gave him the God card, I serious thought 'Kiss him!'. Dunno why, I think they go good together yupyup, Seto's so cool! Glomps

**PyroDragon2006:** BIG thank you for being honest I knew that chappy wasn't great, and this ones not the best either, but more happens towards the end of this one ; Thankies!

**Sorceress Vanessa:** Thankies for the complement SV, always great to hear from ya! hugs By-the-by, your new stories rock too, though I love 'em all! ==

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Two - Yugi's Rejection **

"But Yugi-"

"No!" Yugi yelled back at Steve. "If she said to come alone then I have to respect her wishes. Besides, she may be the only hope I have of unlocking my past..."

"_Or..._" A voice spoke up from the opposite side of the room. Joe lay across a chair, back leaned against the armrest. He was half focused on the conversation, but mostly focused on the video game in front of him. "She could be lying to steal a kiss from Yujhi just as she did Steve." he replied with a grin.

"Look, I thought you promised you wouldn't mention that!" Steve growled, fists clenched in anger.

"But it's just oh so fun to do so." Joe mocked, taking his eyes of the screen for the split second it took for his opponent to K.O. his warrior. He looked back at the screen and growled. "No fair! Rematch!"

"Come on man, this is getting boring-"

"Rematch!"

"Well, I never turn down a challenge. But..." Ryoura, who was sitting on the floor in front of the chair Joe was sitting on, looked up and his friend, grinning. "You've lost twelve times in a row ya know..."

Yugi shook his head and looked back at Steve. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to lose this opportunity-"

"Kissy kissy!" Joe yelled over as he eavesdropped on the conversation during his rematch with Ryoura. He laughed as the fed up expression on Yugi's face, before Ryoura's words shut him up.

"Don't see what your making a big deal about, you've never kissed a girl in your life."

"What?!" Steve was actually surprised, seeing as Joe seemed to always be bragging about being with one girl or the other. He couldn't help but laugh, and he noticed Yugi was trying not to smile.

Joe narrowed his eyes and glared down at Ryoura, who merely grinned at him in return. "I hate you."

"Awww, thanks." the younger teen said in mock appreciation, before pressing two buttons on the control, without looking, and delievering another K.O. to Joe's new monster. He dropped the control and stood up, looking down at the stupefied blond. "Ha ha." He said, half yawning as he did so.

"Rematch! Now!"

"Aww man..."

Yugi shook his head and turned, walking away from the exhausted Ryoura and angry Joe. It was already eleven thirty, and he kept getting distracted by his friends. Yujhi had already talked this through with him, and decided to take the risk, so he was resting quietly in his soul room right now.

Yugi walked to the front door and opened it, jumping slightly as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at Steve, smiling reassuringly. "I'll be fine." He whispered, knowing the question the brunette was going to ask. He shrugged Steve's hand off his shoulder and walked on, closing the door behind him.

Steve frowned and looked at the floor, reaching his hand into his pocket and pulling out the three cards he had received that morning. _"What did he mean when he said they could help?"_ He thought so himself, opening the door and looking out. He watched Yugi retreating down the street with strange sense of foreboding deep inside him. "Something's not right here..."

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Yugi entered the park and looked around thoughtfully. The park was completely empty from what he could see. Had this all been a prank? Sighing, he seated himself at the side of the fountain, looking up at the star-filled sky.

_"You nervous?"_

Smiling slightly at Yujhi's question, Yugi closed his eyes. _"More so then ever..."_ He felt a slight pull on the magic of the Millennium Puzzle, and looked over to see a spirit form of Yujhi next to him. _"What if she really can uncover my past?"_ He asked, preferring to speak through mind-link to avoid looking insane to any passers-by.

_"Then that's a good thing."_ Yujhi commented with a smile, putting his hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi smiled over at him, but his gaze quickly dropped to the floor. _"But if she was lying..."_

_"Then we'll just find another way."_

"I guess..." Yugi sighed, looking down sadly.

"Why the long face? I doubt your shoes are that depressing."

Yugi and Yujhi looked up suddenly, Yugi almost falling back into the fountain at the closeness of the girl in front of him. She was mere centimetres from his face.

"Hmm..." she said, almost thoughtfully, then pulled away. "Yup, definitely the same guy from the visions. Hi Yugi." She said taking his hand and shaking it quickly before letting go. "Names Ilia, possessor of the Millennium Necklace, the key to your past." she introduced quickly. Yugi's eyes landed on the necklace around her neck. Sure enough, it bore the millennium symbol, and he himself knew of the necklaces great powers. Narrowing his eyes curiously, he stood up to face her, expression serious and eyes locked with hers. "What do you want?"

"You don't sound to interested in my offer." Ilia commented, focusing on twirling her hair rather then Yugi. "Can't a girl do a nice deed without being questioned?" she asked in a bittersweet voice. Yugi's cold stare never shifted, causing her to sigh heavily in defeat. "Ok, I'll tell you what I want..." Smirking she turned to him. "Your Puzzle."

"I should have figured as much..." Yugi growled. He had to get out of there before a shadow game began, he couldn't put Yujhi in danger as he did before in the duel with Bakura. He closed his eyes as a bright glow erupted powerfully from the Millennium Puzzle, casting eerie shadows over his features. "I refuse your offer." He spat icily. "I refuse a Shadow Game that could endanger my hikari..."

"Bit over-protective of your little friend, aren't you?" Ilia said lazily, seemingly unfazed by Yugi's harsh voice. "Do you want to find out your past or not?"

"Not at the cost of Yujhi..."

Inside the Puzzle, Yujhi was taken aback by Yugi's words. Yugi's past seemed to be the most important thing to him in the world, but he'd give up his opportunity for him?

Ilia frowned. She hadn't expected Yugi to grow so attached to the boy in the few months they'd known each other. Now what? She panicked slightly when Yugi turned his back, walking away from her silently. The racked her brain for an excuse to stop him. She came up with none. Without a backwards glance, he rounded a corner, and was gone.

She stomped her foot he foot in fury, shaking her fists in the air. What the heck hadn't she thought this through?! Her brother was going to have a field day with this...

"Having a little trouble are we?"

"Always on cue..." Ilia turned to her brother, who was standing a few feat behind her. He was an almost identical form or Marik Ishtar, only everything, his voice, his features, his eyes, where much sharper. He had a much more sinister aura, deeper lilac eyes and a much icier glare. His outfit consisted of a deep purple t-shirt, a baggy black vest, black pants and purple fingerless gloves that matched his shirt. In his hand his held the Millennium Rod.

"Can't do anything without me can you?" he asked mockingly. He walked over to her and looked to where Yugi had just been. "What say we work together? Retrieve the Puzzle quicker."

Ilia eyed her brother curiously, but couldn't deny the fact she needed help. Sighing in defeat, she looked sternly over at him. "Alright, but I'm watching you."

He looked up at her with fake innocence, before speaking in a fake confused tone. "Me? But what could I ever do to you?" His innocent expression was replaced by a grin, and he chuckled. "Ok, here's the plan..."

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When Yugi was out of sight of the girl, he let out a long, heavy sigh, eyes gased sadly to the floor. "Another dead end..."

_"Yugi..."_ Yujhi appeared as a spirit next to him, placing his hand sadly on Yugi's shoulder. _"You should have taken that chance, it may have been your only shot."_

"Forget it, a Shadow Game is off limits." Yugi said quietly, but sternly. He had blocked off the emotional side to his mind-link with Yujhi, so as to hide his feeling. He was torn apart at this. He knew the Necklace could show him his past, but he refused to put Yujhi in danger. It was his decision, and he'd choose Yujhi's safety over his own benefits any day.

A sudden wave of magic erupted over his sensitive instincts, causing him to spin around rapidly to face the force. There was nothing in sight and the area was silent, but that was not enough to ease him. He was completely tense, heightening his senses as he strained to hear a sound, or feel a shift in the magical atmosphere.

There was a slice through the air and Yugi tense, but did not move. He didn't need to turn around, his magic senses told him what was going on. Someone had a knife pointed inches from his back, directed at his heart.

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To Be Continued

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Muhaha! I know, weird and crap, but yaz think I care?! I had fun writing it! Yay!

**VOTE! Can any of you think of a creative name for Ilia's brother? the one I have is boring...**

I so hope this one was an improvement on the last chappy, though I know the start was dragged out. I just wanted a cameo from Ryoura and Joe ;

Hope yaz liked everyone! This story plots been divided from three separate stories to one, so expect LOT's o' possible confusion lata on. Please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	4. Ryoura's Secrecy

Hey guys! Ain't I nice updating so often this week for you. Thats 9 updates since last Saturday! Heehee, that makes me happy   
I had MAJOR trouble with the second Ishtar's name, seeing as I had one but was wondering if there where better. I loved every one of 'em! But, despite the cool and bril names given, I've decided to stick to **Mark** (which was suggested by one person to ). Sorry guys, but I really appreciate the offers 

**Response to Reviews:**  
**Chicary:** Yup I'm trying to get him to be alot like Yami (Coz it's cute that he takes after his Yami == ) but still trying to keep him a little true to his previous character. That's why he's more merciful then Yami would have been, and more forgiving Thankies for the review!

**gladdecease:** Thankies for the names, but I thought Malik meant 'King' in Arabic? Meh, thankies for the review too! Glad yaz liked the chappy 

**Una1:** Yup, Yugi and Yami are different, but I'm tryin' to make Yugi a little like Yami in this Glad yaz liked it! Hope you'll like this chappy!

**Pooka228:** Maeron's a cool name, but I think i'll be using Mark thankies for the suggestion anyway! And thankies for the review!

**Curtis Zidane Ziraa:** I got sooo many names from there, but I didn't use any ; weird ain't I? Thankies for the suggestion and review! Oh, and thankies for the site address too, tis awesome! Shadi means singer O.o;; Ahahaha!

**Red Roses2-chan:** Rolmus woulda been cool, but I've already decided on a borin' name ; Thankies for reviewin'!

**Bookdragon:** You do NOT know how close I was to using Runihura as his name, tis soooooo awesome! It came in second, that's for sure. Oh! That can be his middle name! Mark Runihura Ishtar! Heehee. Thankies!

**PyroDragon2006:** lol, guess you got a point Evil Ishtar's even though they where all nice when they left. It was a cover-up! Their off to plot with Pinkie and the Brain to take over te world! ... God I'm such a prat ; Glad yaz like the chappy though!

**Sorceress Vanessa:** Those names where coolio, but unfortunately I can't use 'em... If I get charrys later I might try and use some of the suggested names Thankies for the review SV!

**Imp is Insane:** Your right, the chappy was a little forced. I've been trying really hard to update all me stories lately, but tis hard. **This** chappy, though, wasn't forced hope it sounds better then the last, I prefer it. Aww, Dunsparce! hugs I dunno why, I just think they's kinda cute But not as cute as Eevee! Glomps Is an Eevee fanatic Heehee, bet your stories are not crap, don't put yourself down like that! Hope yaz like the chappy.

**YumeTakato:** Thanks for the names I'm gonna use one of 'em for another charry that was just introduced. Hope this is soon enough for yaz, enjoy!

**Yami Silverdramon:** Mark ain't stupid, it was me first idea and seeing as someone else also suggested it I'm usin' it! Hope yaz like this chappy!

**Ashla:** ... LIAR! Heehee, sorry... thankies for the review sis!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Three - Ryoura's Secrecy **

Yugi took a deep breath, remaining calm, as the point of the blade was pressed lightly against his back. He turned to look back, but the blade was moved up beside is face, pressed against his cheek to avoid movement. He looked forward and spoke calmly, but sternly. "What do you want."

Ilia looked at her brother, who was holding the dagger, and frowned. _"Did_ you_ think this through Mark?"_ She asked through mind, but didn't get a reply.

"Unless you want to go through a world of hurt, I suggest you agree to a Shadow Game with me right now." Mark answered Yugi's question, pressing the blade against Yugi's face and causing a thin cut to appear. Yugi shut his eyes, but made no other reaction to the pain.

"No." Yugi answered, his voice positive. In his mind he could hear Yujhi trying to negotiate with him, but he ignored it. He placed his hand on the Millennium Puzzle, feeling the cold metal under his hand. "I will not fight you for something that already belongs to me."

"You have no choice..."

Yugi gasped as he felt the dagger cutting deeper into the side of his face, but not too deeply. He winced and shut his eyes, but refused to show further signs of pain. He could feel the warm blood running down the side of his face, but tried not to focus on it.

Mark grinned and gripped onto the Millennium Rod in his had, the dagger side of which was still pressed against Yugi's face. A bright glow erupted from the Millennium symbol as Yugi's eye's shot open in shock. A powerful wave of magic was sent through him from the blade, running through every nerve in his body.

It took him a second to react before he yelled in pain, trying to pull away from the blade. Mark held his head in place with his other hand, though, so Yugi couldn't escape.

"Mark stop!"

"Wha?" Mark looked back at his sister, the magic instantly stopping. He was pulled down suddenly and, with surprise, he realised Yugi had collapsed. He gasped as Yugi began to twitch slightly, backing away. "What the heck is wrong with him?"

"Mark you prat!" Ilia yelled, smacking her brother in the back of the head before kneeling down next to Yugi. "You never use magic like that near someone's face! Do you want to give him permanent brain damage?!"

"Who cares," Mark said lazily, causing Ilia to glare back at him. "He's alive, and that's all that matter... for now anyway."

Ilia frowned at her brother's words. Sure, she knee he wasn't a nice guy, but this was a little over the top. She shook these thoughts from her mind. She wasn't supposed to be concerned for the enemy, it was against what she'd believed in her whole life.

Yugi and Yujhi were the enemy, the keepers of the Millennium Puzzle and therefore, their lives were not to be a concern to them. Still, she couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt and pity at the boys pained expression and raspy breaths. Mark walked up behind her and spoke up.

"Come on, let's get him out of here."

-----------

Bakura yawned and dragged himself down the stairs lazily. Since Ryoura had insisted he prefered to be 'my own me' the two Bakura's had gotton separate forms. Bakura had moved into one of the spare rooms upstairs a few doors down from Ryoura's room.

Today Bakura was surprised to see Ryoura hadn't woken up yet. The teen was usually up at the crack of dawn before going in and bugging Bakura until he woke. It usually resulted in a fight or something of the sort, which always ended the same way: Ryoura saying something to get himself, and sometimes Bakura, laughing.

Bakura chuckled slightly in remembrance of some of their fights. They where pathetic, pointless and, really, had no reason to start. Even when Bakura _tried_ to be angry at him, he couldn't. Ryoura was one annoying, yet extremely likable, pest.

But something was wrong today. Ryoura hadn't been in the best of moods going to bed the previous night either, and he refused to talk to Bakura about it. He said it was something personal and secret, which came as a bit of a surprise, as the word 'secret' didn't seem to fit into Ryoura's vocabulary. _"Wonder what's on his mind..."_ Bakura thought to himself as he sat down to breakfast.

It took a further two hours before Ryoura left the room, though it was clear he had been awake for a long while. He walked down the stairs with his head down, seemingly deep in though. _"Now THAT'S not like Ryoura..."_ Bakura thought when he spotted the him. He had been sitting in the living room at the time, looking over the back of the sofa. "Hey Ryoura."

Ryoura seemed to have been tugged out of his thoughts, looking up at Bakura as if surprised we was there. Bakura was a little taken aback by Ryoura's appearance. He had dark marks under his eyes and his eyes where slightly red. "Ryoura are you ok?"

Shaking his head slightly Ryoura smiled reassuringly at his yami. "Ya Pep' I'm fine. Just had a rough night."

"Hmm..." Bakura was still suspicious, and Ryoura could tell. He didn't want to get into detail, so he just walked into the kitchen, leaving Bakura by himself. The former tomb-robber was about to call him when the doorbell rang.

"Pepper! Fetch the door!"

"What does he think I am..." Bakura mumbled as he stood up, walking over to the front door and opening it. There stood a man, only slightly taller then Bakura. He had short, black, limp spiky hair and a pair of black sunglass' hiding his eyes. He was wearing a white t-shirt and light blue denim pants, along with a matching jacket. He looked at Bakura for a second before speaking up. "Ryoura Bakura?"

"No." Bakura answered flatly. He didn't like this guy, yet he didn't know why. "What do you want him for?"

"I need to speak with him." the man said, folding his arms. He smiled and added. "We're old acquaintances."

Bakura narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Ok, he _really_ didn't trust this guy. Still, he wasn't going to figure anything out just glaring at him. "Ryoura, come here." He called, but didn't take his eyes off the man.

Ryoura was sitting in the kitchen looking at the Millennium Ring he had tied around his wrist, running his fingers over the gold material thoughtfully. He was jerked out of his thoughts at his yami's words and looked over towards the door. "Why?"

"Just get over here." He heard Bakura's voice call back, and shrugged. Standing up, he made his way over to the door. _"Wonder why he's so tense..."_ Ryoura thought, reading Bakura's emotions through the Millennium Ring. Though their bodies where separate, the where still connected by the item. "What's up Pepper?" He asked as he reached the hall. The door was slightly closed so he could not see the man outside.

Bakura looked back at him. "Ryoura do you know-"

"Remember me Ryoura?" The door was pushed open and the man stood in the doorway, grinning. Bakura growled at him, but he ignored him. "Long time no see, eh runt?"

Bakura looked at the man with confusion, before looking at Ryoura. He was frozen, eye's wide and face pale. Bakura jumped at wave of emotion that hit him when he checked the link. Ryoura was terrified.

"K-Kage?" Ryoura stuttered. "But how did...? I thought you where-"

"Still in jail?" the man, Kage, finished. He chuckled lightly and smirked. "Just got out kid, the sentance is up."

"But your supposed to be in for life!"

"Pulled a few strings." Kage answered simply. Bakura was beginning to feel a little like a third wheel, but knew better then to leave Ryoura alone with this guy. He walked over and stood beside his hikari, angered at the fear this man was striking in his lighter half. "What do you want.." he hissed, his anger clear.

Kage looked lazily at Bakura and smiled. "A yami eh?"

"How did you know about that..." Ryoura asked. It was very clear, but he was fighting the urge to run away from this man.

Kage chuckled, and raised his hand to his face. "Because I hold the Millennium Eye." He took of his glass' and looked at Ryoura. Sure enough, in place of his right eye, which should have been blue like the other, was the golden Millennium Eye. Ryoura took a step back in surprise, Bakura just raised his guard.

Kage grinned. He was really enjoying himself. "I know as much about the Millennium Item's as you do Ryoura, you should know that from our last meeting, or do you remember it? It doesn't seem like something someone would forget in a hurry." "Bakura..."

Looking back, Bakura was surprised to find Ryoura hiding behind him, his hands on Bakura's shoulders and his face hiden in Bakura's jacket. "Ryoura?"

"Hand over the Ring _boy_," Kage demanded, hand outstretched. Bakura glared at him and stood his ground. "If you think your coming one step closer to us think again..." Bakura hissed angrily, a soft glow surrounding the Millennium Ring.

Kage chuckled in amusement. "Fine, put up a fight, it only makes things more interesting. And Ryoura?" He turned his attention to the younger teen, but his face was still hidden. "You threw me in the gutter for the past twelve years, and I'm going to make sure you pay for it..."

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

Bwahaha! Ok, Yaz wanna kill me, I know But hey, that's life!  
Ok, again this story has two plots right now. You dunno how long I spent deciding who was at the door (Two or three minutes ; What?! That is a long time to ponder over one sentence!). I had two choices, but this one works way better in makin' it a separate story-line.  
Hope yaz like it, again (just in case you missed it) this is **not yaoi**. just thought I'd put that in Any mentions of love between two guys is **brotherly**, ok?  
Welp, hope yaz'll review. Slán slán til next time!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	5. Yugi's Memories

Hey guys! I was just reading over **'Darkened Soul'** (The start of Soul Destruction) and thought, 'wow, so much has come from ten minutes of television'. To be honest, if the one from 'Neightbours' (A programme I hardly ever watch) hadn't got cancer, this story wouldn't exist! Believe it or not, watching that sprouted the idea in my mind. Weird eh? This story has come soooo much further then I ever thought, and I have you guys to thank for it. Thankies!

**Response to Reviews:**  
**PyroDragon2006:** Yupyup, Steve and Joe may just get a part to play in this. Yay! Heehee, glad your likin' it so far!

**YumeTakato:** I meant to update it yesterday, sorry! Glad yaz like it!

**Yami Silverdramon:** Well I've kinda decided Ryou has 'passed on'. Ya know? Hope that doesn't upset yaz, but he ain't comin' back in. Don't think Kage is related to Pegasus... hmm...

**Pooka228:** You'll have to read to find out about Kage won't yaz? heehee, glad yaz like!

**Imp is Insane:** I love twists and cliffies! Muhaha!  
**Ryoura: -hugs Imp is Insane- I'm scared...**  
Aw... poor Ryoura... I'm sure he appreciates the cuddle, the the 'cute' comments always make him blush XD yay! cookie! -eats it- Thankies!

**Sorceress Vanessa:** Aww, Ryoura sure does apreciate the cuddles -. Adopt him? No! mine! -glomps-  
**Ryoura: I feel very popular today -**

**Chicary:** Corse Pepper's nicer to Ryoura, the kid saved his life. And ya, charm has a huge part to play I never write yaoi, I don't see why, to some peeps, all anime characters have to be gay. It's stupid... anyway, read on!

**Una1:** Welp, ya'll just have to read on to find out about Ryoura, and thankies for the complement! Glad Mark and Kage are good charrys too -

**gladdecease:** I think everyones more worried about Ryoura then Yugi and Yujhi -. Heehee, me too actually, but anyway, glad yaz like the chappy!

**Ashla:** Mwuhaha! Your in camp sissy! You'll have to wait a week to read this XP Heehee, thankies for the review though -bittersweet voice-

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Four - Yugi's Memories **

_"Where the heck is Yujhi?"_ Steve wondered, drumming his fingers impatiently on his desk. It was 09:43 by the school clock, and Yujhi was never late for school. Well, not since Yugi started waking him in the mornings anyway. He sighed heavily in frustration. He should have known better then to let Yugi and Yujhi go talk to that girl. He had to find a way to help.

"Mr. Wheeler, are you paying attention?"

Steve looked up in confusion at the anger in their teachers voice. A number of students, including Steve, turned their attention towards Joe, who sat near the back of the class behind Steve. He had his elbows rested on the table and his hands on his head, eyes shut tight in pain. "Joe what's wrong?" Steve whispered.

"My head hurts..."

"He's just got a headache miss-"

"No... that's not it... there's something wrong with me..." Joe hissed, resting his forehead on the desk and groaning in pain. Steve looked back at Joe with confusion. What did he mean?

"Alright. Steve, take Joe to the nurses office for something to help him. No detours on the way, and come straight back to class once he's there, ok Steve?" The teacher ordered. Steve nodded and stood up, seemingly having to drag Joe to his feet. "What's up with you man?" He whispered as they exited the classroom and headed down the corridor.

"That's what I want to know..." Joe mumbled, leaning heavily on his friend to stay standing. He couldn't really understand what he was feeling or how he was feeling the way he was. He was fine just this morning, but now he felt like his head was going to explode.

Steve narrowed his eyes in curiosity. This was no physical injury, he was sure of it. Could it have something to do with the Millennium Items?

-----------

"Come on Wheeler.... show a little weakness..." Marik Ishtar growled in frustration. Eyes shut tight and hands clenched in effort. It was taking both mental and physical strength to try and overtake the mind of this boy. Not that the boys mind was to strong, but Marik's source of magic was extremely limited.

Mark, his hikari, had such a craving for power, that he was angered if Marik used even the slightest amount. The 'lighter' half, if that's what you could call Mark, had somehow focused the Millennium Rods power to serve mainly himself, leaving Marik with a limited source. In short, the lighter half was, for once, the more powerful.

Last night, Marik (who also has a separate form from his hikari) had seen Mark and his sister, Ilia, come back with someone. The person was unconscious at the time, but Marik had been quick to discover how it was. Yugi's new hikari was unmistakable, considering the resemblance, and the magical aura radiating from the Millennium Puzzle made him sure of the new persons identity.

Right now, Marik was trying to discover a way to contact Yujhi's friends, but this was the only means he knew of. A magical seal had been placed on him, forbidding him from even leaving the house. Mark had done so, out of suspicion. He thought Marik to kind, and the type to turn against him. Of course, he was right.

But with his magic weakened, and no direct contact with the Millennium Rod, taking over Joe's mind was proving a much more difficult task then he had first anticipated. Still, he owed alot to Yugi, so he refused to give up. "Come on..." He hissed angrily to himself. He had to get this right.

-----------

"Bakura!"

"I'm fine..." Bakura growled, pushing himself off the floor to his hands and knees. The power of the Millennium Eye was mastered must more so then that of Maximillian Pegasus, and much better practised. Kage was showing no mercy in disposing of the tomb-robber to get to his real target.

Glaring up, Bakura released a wave of magic towards the man, sending him skidding backwards, but Kage simply backfired some of the attack's force. The attacks thrown back struck Bakura's legs hard, knocking them out from under him and causing painful injury to them almost instantly.

Ryoura skidded over beside his yami, attempting to help him to his feet. Unfortunately, the former thief king had sustained a lot of damage and was finding it hard to stand at all. A small movement towards them alerted Ryoura and he stood in front of his weakened yami, Bakura dropping back to his knees behind him, breathing heavily.

Kage looked over at Ryoura with slight surprise, before chuckling sinisterly. This caused the teen to wince and tense slightly, becoming more alert. He took a few steps towards the two, noting Ryoura's breathing became slightly quicker the closer he came. "You think you can defend your pathetic excuse for a yami?" he hissed, his voice eerily calm. He laughed quietly when Ryoura gave no answer. "Just as weak and helpless as ever, eh? Can you defend yourself at all without help? If not you haven't changed much in twelve years."

Ryoura swallowed hard, his breathes becoming uncontrollably uneven. Kage was a mere few feet from him now, but he found he was frozen. He didn't attempt to fight, to defend, to run, nothing. He just stood still, staring into the icy blue eyes of the one man he had prayed he would never have to see again.

"Your wondering what I'm going to do next, aren't you?" Kage grinned, seeing Ryoura's surprise. He loved to see him like this, it was like a taster of his revenge. "I can read your thoughts boy, everything that goes through your mind. You can't hide anything from me."

Bakura pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the burning sensation from the previous attack. He rested his hand on Ryoura's shoulder for support, glaring over at Kage with pure hate in his eyes. "Leave him alone."

"I'm afriad that is not possible. He's the one I came for, so stay out of this." A wave of magic whipped up and struck Bakura square in the chest. The yami cried out in pain as he struck the wall hard, head-first, before dropping to a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Bakura!" A strong hand grabbed Ryoura's left wrist before he could reach Bakura, draging him back painfully. He froze as his eyes met with that of Kage, a glint of humour in the mans eyes. "Let go of me!" Ryoura yelled, struggling against the mans strong grip.

"Scared little boy? Has death left it's mark?" Kage whispered in a taunting tone, Ryoura's struggling ceasing almost instantly. The teens face had paled visibly, and fear filled his eyes.

Ryoura shut his eyes tight and turned his head away from Kage, fighting the tears that brimmed in his eyes. "I was the one you where after..."

"And they where in the way." Kage answered Ryoura's unasked question. He tightened his grip on Ryoura's wrist, twisting his arm behind his back in the process. Ryoura gasped slightly from pain as he wrist was pressed against his back, but held back any further reactions. Grinning, Kage grabbed the teens other wrist, fingers grabbing the rope tying the Millennium Ring to Ryoura's wrist.

"No!" A large wave of magic erupted from the Millennium Ring, driving Kage back with such force he struck the wall opposite. Ryoura didn't take a second glance before he was down by Bakura's side. "Bakura wake up!" he yelled in a panicked voice. His only response was a low groan from Bakura's otherwise limp form. "Bakura!" Ryoura yelled desperately, shaking his other half more violently then intended from panic.

Kage walked up behind the boy, but he was unnoticed. A blade emerged from a sheath on the inside of his jacket, his hand gripping the hilt hard, blade glimmering in the sunlight. "You'll pay for that..."

-----------

Yujhi groaned and opened his eyes sleepily. The sun was shining through the window, but most of the room was dark thanks to the red curtain blocking out most of the suns harsh rays. She sighed and rolled over so he was facing away from the sun. it was rare Yugi let him sleep him, so why not sleep that little bit more? _"Ya... sleep is good..."_

What a weird dream... He almost thought he really _had_ been kidnapped by to crazy Millennium Item holders. The dream was so convincing, it was kind of freaky.

Suddenly, his sleepy mind was jerk awake. His room was not this big, and he had blue curtains, not red. He sat up quickly, looking around him in a panic. Where was he? Jumping out of bed he almost tore the curtains down as he opened them, the bright light of the sun streaming in across the floor. The room was close to empty. No paint on the walls. No carpet of wood for a floor, just concrete, and no furniture save for the bed. _"Where am I?"_ he thought, looking around in bewilderment and worry.

It was only then he realised he didn't have the Millennium Puzzle. It wasn't anywhere in the room, nor around his neck. Panicking, he ran to the door and tried to pull it open, but his attempts where in vain. The windows had a magical barrier which shocked him if he touched the invisible wall. Grumbling, he sat down on the bed and hugged his knees to his chest. One thought was trailing in his mind. "Please let Yugi be ok..."

-----------

_"Wake up Yugi..."_

"Wha...?" Yugi opened his eyes weakly, vision blurred. He tried to lift his right had to rub his eyes, but found it stuck, as was his left hand. He blinked a few times and looked beside him. His hands where strapped to a table beside his head, a metal shackle with no chain holding his wrists down, as well as his ankles. Two metal straps where around his stomach and chest, while two more covered his legs restricting much movement. He struggled under the manacles, but movement was imposible. Only when he looked up did he realise Mark was standing beside the table, grinning down at him.

"Sleep well?" Mark taunted. The room around them was completely dark save for one light beside Yugi. Mark leaned against the table and smirked. "So... you came to my sister to discover your past... eh?" his only response was a silent glare from Yugi. He chuckled and withdrew something from his pocket. The Millennium Necklace, which he had borrowed from Ilia.

Yugi glanced at the necklace, before looking at Mark suspiciously. "Well... lets just see what you make of your past, shall we?" Mark asked, grinning. Yugi was confused as Mark lifting the Necklace and tied it around the Millennium Rod. He grinned and pointed the top of the Millennium Rod at Yugi, pressing it against Yugi's forehead.

Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, but suddenly a bright light erupted from both Millennium Item's Mark was holding, and the Millennium Puzzle beside the table. Yugi cried out as the darkness stabbed through his heart, a familiar feeling only to those who where inexperienced in the Shadow Realm.

Little did Yugi know that, though true Mark was allowing him to see his memories, every phsical and mental pain came as the price.

And the only memories where those of pain and suffering...

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To Be Continued

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-sigh- sorry for the crap ending guys, but it's 11:32pm and I have a headache... you know the kind that hurts your eyes like heck? I stare at the computer to much... ow...  
Meh, no biggie, I quite like this chappy - Hope you guys are likin' it! Please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	6. Eternal Friendship

Hey guys! 'Nother chappy up for readin'! Thankies a bundle for the reviews in the last chappy and I hope you enjoy this one!

**No review response this chappy, sorry.**

  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Five - Eternal Friendship **

"Kaiba! Mokuba! They're statues!" "Don't give up Yugi... I'll think of something!" "My Puzzle! No!" "How else will you reclaim your grandfather's soul?" "Yugi!" "That's enough!"

Yugi cried out as a powerful wave of pain, fear and heartache rushed through, accompanied by various voices. The world around him dissolved in seconds, and he found himself suspended in darkness. He straightened himself to an upright position, the voices echoing around him. He helplessly spun around, trying to find the sources of the voice. Each voice was in pain, physically, mentally or emotionally, and Yugi found emotions racing threw him with such force he could not determine whither he was angry, hurt or upset.

He covered his eyes and shut his eyes tight, muttering to himself to try and drown out the voices. They echoed as loud as ever. "Go away... go away... please..." Yugi whispered helplessly, the unbound emotions causing tears to stream down his face and his voice to become shaky as if fearful. He was not seeing his past, he was merely suffering ever trauma all over again.

"Yugi, switch now, quickly! ... Yugi? Yugi!"

His eyes opened slightly as that sentence echoed into his mind. That voice... He had heard it before. The weakness and mental pain that overtook him was ignored, his mind focused on the voice. He remembered that voice, from when he had visited a soul room months back.

Whilst he was captured by Bakura, Yugi had found himself un an unusual soul room when he feel asleep. The room mirrored his, with staircases, traps and countless doors. In curiosity, he had searched the room and found the memories of whatever soul inhabited it. He had seen, and felt, the memories of that soul, and discovered their name. That soul was the owner of the voice that echoed around him, the voice filled with concern and fear for _him_. "Ya...mi..."

-----------

"Bakura! Come on!" Ryoura yelled, shaking his yami in an attempt to wake him. His yami's magically powers were still powerful and could easily over that of Kage... _if_ Kage had not focused on physical injury. When Bakura had received injury to his leg it lowered his evasiveness greatly, and the blow to the head had almost knocked him out cold. Fear was growing quickly inside of Ryoura, forming a great amount of panic. "Come on..."

Bakura groaned and opened his eyes slowly, colours swirling in front of his eyes before his vision cleared. "What... happened...?" Bakura mumbled, placing his hand on his head and wincing slightly at the pain the followed his touch. His blurry vision began to focus and his eyes grew wide. "Ryoura look out!"

To late, Kage grabbed Ryoura and dragged him away from his yami, pressing a dagger to his throat and pulling his left arm behind his back in an attempt to silence him. Ryoura froze when the cold metal touched him, sending a shiver of fear up his spine.

Bakura stumbled to his feet and growled angrily at Kage. With a quick swipe of his left arm from left to right, a saber formed in his hands. His weapon was slightly transparent, created and powered by his magical abilities. He gripped the seemingly nonexistent hilt, which appeared as a strong glow of magic, and held it in front of him. "Let him go." he hissed angrily, the aura around the blade growing stronger.

Kage chuckled in amusement and pressed the blade harder against Ryoura's throat. "Or what?" he asked in a taunting voice, smirking at Bakura's annoyance. He knew the great power of Bakura's Millennium Saber, and it was a power exclusive to that of the spirit of the Millennium Ring, but with Ryoura at his mercy the spirit wouldn't attack. He had nothing to worry about.

"What do you want him for?"

Kage was slightly surprised at Bakura's question, but smirked and looked over at Ryoura, whose gaze was diverted to the floor. "You never told him about me did you?" he whispered, grinning. Ryoura cringed at the iciness in his voice.

"He didn't need to know..." Ryoura whispered. He felt helpless, and he was so afraid he felt like he had to answer Kage's questions. He cringed again as Kage laughed aloud. "True..." the eerie voice hissed in his ear. The dagger was brought away from his throat, but in a quick slicing movement it was brought down to swiftly sever the rope of the Millennium Ring. He grabbed the golden item and smirked, pushing Ryoura's arm further up his back, causing the teen to cry out, to avoid Bakura's interference.

"Well, where are your almighty thief techniques now tomb-robber?" Kage smirked. This only served to anger Bakura further and tighten his grip on the Millennium Saber, and even Kage knew when the situation was becoming dangerous. Bakura had inhabited the Millennium Ring for countless centuries and was, obviously, just possessive of the item. Therefore, anger could cause an outburst, something Kage was sure he couldn't defeat. Bakura was an extremely powerful foe, and most likely knew much more about harnessing Millennium Magic then he did. He needed Bakura to be sidetracked enough for him to escape, and luckily he had the answer to his problems right beside him.

Twirling the dagger for a second, he gripped the hilt hard, driving it deep into the side of the boy beside him. Ryoura cried out and the blade tore threw him, causing an excruciating sensation to surge threw him. Kage threw Ryoura to the floor and tore the dagger from him, turning quickly and dashing out the door.

"Ryoura!"

-----------

"What's going on?!" Mark jumped back away from Yugi's unconscious form, the Millennium Items glowing with blinding force. He shielded his eyes with his arm as the glow grew overwhelming, illuminating the room in a golden light. It lasted a mere few seconds before the light faded to nothing and the room was left to darkness again. Confused, Mark looked around, but nothing seemed any different.

"Hmm..." he walked over to the table Yugi was on and looked down at him. The yami seemed so calm and relaxed in his slumber Mark had to check if he was breathing. He was, but what had caused the magic to react like that? Curious, he decided to scan Yugi's mind for clues, a power slightly similar to that of the Millennium Eye.

He gasped in slight pain as he struck a strong barrier. True, because Yugi weilded the Millennium Puzzle mind control was ineffective, but he should be able to get a clue as to what Yugi was thinking. This barrier was a surprise to him, and should not be there. He scowled at the Millennium Rod angrily and gripped the handle harder. "He must have been familiar with one of the memories... and the Millennium Puzzle must have automatically sealed off other magic. But... if that's true is he reliving memories right now?"

-----------

"_Yugi....? Yugi?_ ...Yugi!"

"Huh?" Yugi opened his eyes quickly at the sudden volume of the voice in his ear. Blinking in confusion at awaking in a standing position, he looked around him, bewildered. "Where...?" He was standing in the middle of what looked like a fairground, but it was much different o the one Yujhi and the others had visited a few weeks previously. The rides looked less technical; fewer holograms, bigger and louder engines as well as half the rides looks old in his opinion.

"Yugi what's up with you?"

Turning to face the voice, Yugi's eyes grew wide. In front of him was the spirit he had met in the hospital, the Joe look-alike. Of coarse, now he seemed much more solid and not so mysterious. On the contrary, he looked jumpy, hyper and incapable of standing still. "Um, n-nothing." He answered, confused. Where was he? What was going on?

"Joey! Yugi!"

"Finally..." Joey exclaimed with a sigh, looking back at someone behind him. "How long does it take to buy candy floss Yami?"

_"Yami?"_ the name echoed in Yugi's mind before the person came into sight. Yami was a greatly similar in appearance to Yugi. His tri-coloured hair resembled Yugi's, save for the extra blond lightning-bolt through it. His eyes were an equally deep purple, but though they where more evil looking they still held warmth and kindness. This was Yami, _his_ yami of previous millennia.

Joey looked at Yami curiously as he laughed, arms folded. "So where's the candy floss you where so eager to buy?"

"Huh?" Yami looked at Joey with confusion, before realising what he said. "Oh! The candyfloss! Well, um, the thing is, I, I ate it! Ya, that's right."

"Uh-huh? Ya right Yami." Joey commented, grinning. "You used that candyfloss thing as an excuse to go flirt with Crystal again, didn't you?"

"Wh-what?!" Yami choked, blushing furiously at the accusation. "Joey I-"

"Ya-mi's in _love_! Ya-mi's in _love_!" Joey chanted in a sing-song voice, causing Yami to blush even more. Yugi held back a laugh with some effort as Joey laughed at Yami's expression. "Admit it Yami, you like her!"

"Joey, please! Keep it down!" Yami almost begged, trying to quieten his friend while glancing nervously over his shoulder.

"You wanna _hug_ her, you wanna _kiss_ her, you wanna-" Joey was silenced when Yami slapped his hand over Joey's mouth, Yugi now laughing uncontrollably. Joey pushed Yami's hand away and grinned. "Admit it and I'll shut up."

"Ok, I like her! Happy now!" Yami hissed.

"Awww, Yami's in love. Isn't that so sweet." Joey said in a mockingly in a tearful voice. He looked back at Yugi. "Our little Yami's all grown up."

Yugi was laughing whilst Joey was talking, but he nodded in responce. He was surprised how at home he felt around Joey and Yami, but it only proved the closeness of their friendship to him. He didn't feel like an outsider or a misfit like he commonly did around Yujhi's friends, he belonged here. Looking up he noticed Joey was still making fun of Yami. "Come on Joey, cut it out.

"Aww but Yugi..." Joey moaned, Yami smirking over at him. Joey folded his arms and grinned over at Yami. "Kissey, kissey..." he whispered.

Yami grumbled and walked past Joey beside Yugi. "Come on, if we're going to enjoy the fair might as well get going." he smiled down at his lighter half and began to walk away. Joey ran passed Yugi and grabbed his wrist, dragging him off after Yami.

Wherever he was, whenever he was, Yugi didn't care.

He finally remembered his friends.

-----------

"So you're telling me your little spell back-fired and now Yugi's mind is trapped elsewhere?" Ilia question her brother angrily. This was the last time she trusted him even the slightest with her Millennium Necklace.

Mark narrowed his eyes angrily. He didn't like the tone in Ilia's voice. "I'm pretty sure that, somehow, he is trapped in a parallel dimension which-"

"Leads to that past? That's true." Ilia finished, standing up and walking to the window, looking out. "Somehow he has found himself in his own time, the time he truly belongs too, but his mind still remembers this time and not all about the time he's in."

"So basically it's like he travelled back in time." Mark finished as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Well goodie, isn't that great? How are we supposed to get the pharaoh's powers now..."

"Well if you had held off on the tortures you could have attempted a shadow game, but you didn't. We'll just have to find a way to get him back."

Mark grumbled in annoyance and sunk deeper into the chair as Ilia left the room, thinking. _"Figures... the one time we have the opportunity to get the Millennium Puzzle and it back-fires. It was the final piece of the plot... we already have Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor and the Winged Dragon of Ra, all I needed was to defeat the guardian of the Millennium Puzzle and-"_ Even Marks thoughts froze as realisation hit him.

"That weak hikari is also the guardian of the Millennium Puzzle..." he whispered to himself, grinning. "All I have to do is destroy him and the Puzzle is mine, and without his Yami the strengths of the Shadow Realm will be unbearable." he stood up and made his way out the door and down the corridor to Yujhi's room. "Once his soul is torn apart it will count as a loss..."

"That's the type of thinking I wish your sister had..."

Mark jumped at the voice behind him and spun around, sighing at the sight of the man leaning against the wall. "Hello father."

"Where is the boy then?" the man asked, unmoving.

"Just down the corridor." Mark answered simply. "He should be easy enough to defeat, he hasn't had any real training or experience in the Shadow Realm to my knowledge. Yugi's out of commission for the moment, so he will be of no threat." Mark's father nodded in approval. "So, how did your mission go? Did you get it?"

The man looked up and grinned. Reaching into his pocket he pulled something golden out and held it out in front of him. "Like taking candy from a baby son." Kage grinned as he held the Millennium Ring before him.

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To Be Continued

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Bwahaha! Tada! Longest chappy in this story! Not to bad a chappy, ne? ... Well it's not the worst at least **XD** Whacha think of Kage being an Ishtar? Did yaz expect it? heehee...  
Awww... I'm so happy for Yugi! -- Glad I could bring Yami in, I miss him, and Joey too! -huggles- Why they had that conversation about Yami's crush I'll never know... hope yaz liked the chappy! ALOT more is happening in this story then the first 'Soul Destruction', it's only chappy 5 and by chappy 5 of the last one Yugi was just captured.  
Meh, me's will shut up now, please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	7. Ryoura's Heartache

Hey guys. I've been workin' on this chappy for _ages_ and its the first chappy I've started and worked right through til the end of it for ages. Hope you guys enjoy, longest part yet.

No review responses again, what is it... gomen ne?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

**WARNING: Character death (OC's, don't panic on me)**

** Chapter Six - Ryoura's Heartache **

"I think I'm going to be sick..."

"Maybe you shouldn't have eaten all those sweets before riding that roller coaster..." Yugi comment, smiling slightly at his yami's foolishness. Yami merely groaned and leaned heavier against his hikari, arm slung around the smaller boys shoulders. Yugi laughed quietly and led him to a bench, sitting him down. "Now you'll know to take my advice next time," he commented with a smirk.

"I know..." Yami mumbled, covering his mouth as if he where about to throw up. Luckily, he didn't. "Oh well... it was worth it." Yami smiled over at Yugi and chuckled, pointing behind him. "Obviously Joey agrees."

"Huh?" Yugi turned and spotted Joey already in the cue again. "Lunatic..." he mumbled, taking a seat beside Yami. The former Pharaoh sighed heavily and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Thank you Yugi..."

"Hm?" Yugi looked over at his dark half with puzzlement.

"A mere few weeks ago I was a prisoner of the Millennium Puzzle," Yami began, opening his eyes and looking over at Yugi, smiling. He sat up and pulled Yugi into a tight embrace. "But you risked your life to release me... and for that I am forever grateful." Yugi was a little surprised by the hug, but smiled and hugged Yami back. "Hey, what are friends for?"

"Hey what I miss?" Joey asked as he returned from his second ride on the rollar coaster, looking from one to the other. Yami and Yugi looked up at him and he grinned. "Group hug!" He announced, wrapping his much longer arms around the two, who laughed and hugged him as well.

"Come on Yugi, we better head home." Yami said after a few more rides. "It's getting late and we promised your grandfather we'd be home to help in the shop for the last few hours the shop was open."

"Aww, do you have to?" Joey moaned. "We haven't been here _that_ long."

"Joey... it's five in the afternoon, we've been here since ten this morning." Yami commented, folding his arms. Joey moaned and mumbled a quiet 'fine' but quickly added. "Then we'll meet in the arcade tomorrow! Deal?"

Yami chuckled and shook his head, but turned to Yugi for an answer. Yugi shrugged and looked at Joey. "I... guess we could..."

"Great! See ya then!" And with that, Joey turned and darted back into the fairground. Yugi and Yami made their way home, taking about nothing in particular. Yugi's mind was surprisingly unfocused.

He couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling he had in the pit of him stomach, and he had no idea what was causing it.

-----------

"Young man, you can't leave the hospital until-"

"Just watch me." Ryoura snapped at the doctor, picking up his shirt and pulling it on over the bandages wrapped around his torso, his wound stitched up and clean. He stood up from the bed quickly but winced as a searing pain shot through him. The doctor tried to persuade him to stay as he regained himself, but it seemed the teen couldn't be stopped.

At least until Bakura came in. He practically ordered the doctor to leave before turning to Ryoura, his expression serious. "I want to know what that guy was talking about back there. What haven't you told me?"

Ryoura looked at Bakura, thoughts racing through his mind, before he found his voice, though it was shaky. "You-"

"Don't need to know?" Bakura finished, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes. "I was attack, and I fought. Therefore, I am a part of this, whether you like it or not. I have the right to know why he was trying to hurt you so much. Don't try and tell me it was for the Millennium Ring, because I _know_ it was more then that." He paused for a moment, awaiting a response. "Why was he in jail Ryoura?"

Ryoura's eyes reverted down to the floor and his sighed, sitting down on the bed again, arms rested lazily on his knees as he stared at the floor. Bakura walked over and sat down beside him. "Well?"

Casting Bakura a quick glance, Ryoura straightened up and took a deep breath, as if preparing himself, then released it. "Ok... I'll tell you, but it's not a pretty story..." he swallowed hard, he gaze never meeting Bakura's. "When I was little, you know, _really_ little, I used to spend a lot of time with my mom and dad." He shut his eyes and lowered his head. "They were the best..."

_"Were?"_

"But that guy," Bakura could hear a tone of anger in Ryoura's voice. "He tore my family apart! And...and it's all my fault..."

-----------

_Domino City: 7,013 A.D (Twelve years ago)_

-----------

Ryo(Ree-oh) Bakura was twenty-seven years old, had a good home, a loving family and a highly ranked job at Kaiba Corp. as the heads assistant. He had short, limp, spiky white hair that hung slightly over his eyes, deciding against his sons claims that it should be longer, had emerald green eyes and was fairly tall, standing close to six foot four.

Though his job was anything but easy, his wife, Casandra, and five-year-old son, Ryoura, were a constant source of support, which help him continue with his difficult job. As he returned from work one day, he chuckled at the thought of Ryoura's conversation as soon as he entered the door.

Ryoura had only started preschool two weeks previously, and seemed determined to replay the entire days activities, good or bad, to his father when he came home from work. It wasn't much to listen to, but spending time with his family always cheered him up after a hard days work.

"I'm home," he called as he enter the house, and was almost immediately greeted by his son. Ryoura ran out of the sitting room and latched onto his father in a difficult hug, considering his size. He was wearing a white, baggy shirt and baggy cream shorts, as well as an oversized blue baseball cap he had to wear backwards as it was far to big for him. "Hi daddy!" He piped up cheerfully, smiling brightly up at his father, who lifted him up and hugged him. "Hello Ryoura."

"Don't I get a hug?"

Ryo looked up and smiled at the woman in from of him. She had long, wavy, pale blond hair that ran down her back, and deep brown eyes, like Ryoura's. She was quite tall to, reaching close to six foot. Holding Ryoura in one arm he reached out and pulled her into the group hug.

_"Wait for it..."_ Ryo thought to himself.

"Oh daddy you'll neva guess what happen in school today!"

Ryo chuckled and smiled at the boy as he began rambling so quickly he was barely understandable. All Ryo could was smile and nod in confusion.

-----------

"Mommy? Daddy? Whada ya doin'?"

"Hm?" Ryo looked back over the couch, as did Casandra, and spotted Ryoura standing in the doorway, looking at him in confusion. "Ryoura, you where supposed to be in bed an hour ago."

"Wha da?" Ryoura asked as his climbed over the back of the couch and landed between his parents, looking at the object in his father's hands. Ryo was holding some sort of golden dream-catcher with an eye in the middle. He looked at it with fascination.

Ryo smiled and shook his head, lifting Ryoura up onto his lap and holding the ring in front of him. Ryoura placed his hand curiously on the object, tilting his head as he felt a strange feeling flow quickly through him, tickling him and causing him to giggle. "Well, this is the Millennium Ring." Ryo began, ignoring his sons unusual reaction. He didn't see the problem with telling him this, Ryoura would most likely think of it as some sort of fairy tale.

"I've had if for quiet a while now, when my father gave it to me. It's origin is unknown, but we know it was sold among thieves, until eventually no one saw any use and threw it out. Because there was no owner, my great grandfather kept it. Then he discovered that this item had a secret. He researched were it came from, but it's previous owner had passed away at a young age without any explanation, as well as two others with similar items."

"Ryo!" Casandra interrupted, slapping him slightly in the back of the head. "You can't be telling him these things, he'll have nightmares."

"It's ok mommy," Ryoura said, smiling at her then up at his father. "What happen den?"

Ryo chuckled, then continued. "With a little more research, he discovered the item was supposed to have dark magic inside it, Millennium Magic I think. It's true. History proves it, though the most resent reports of it were five thousand years ago."

"Wow..." Ryoura looked at the Millennium Ring with awe.

"So he decided to keep the item within the family, and that's why I have it. We pass it down with the Bakura name." Ryo sighed as he finished, smiling down at Ryoura. "So when I can't care for it anymore, it will be your job." He lifted Ryoura up and stood the small boy on his knees so he was facing him. "To you think you can handle it."

"Yes sir!" Ryoura stated with a solute. Ryo laughed and ruffled his hair. "I know you can, but now, it's back to bed."

"Aww..." Ryoura moaned in protest, but Ryo simply picked him up and slung the laughing boy over his shoulder. Ryoura began to protest, but erupted in a giggling fit when Ryo started to tickle him mercilessly. Trying to escape in vain, he was finnally left alone when he father dropped him into his bed. Still giggling as Ryo tucked him in, he smiled up and outstretched his arms. "Hug?"

Ryo smiled and hugged Ryoura, placing a small kiss on his sons forehead as he pulled away. "Goodnight Ryoura," he whispered to the sleepy child, making a quickly surrendered attempt to take the boys baseball cap. Ryoura never seemed to take it off. "Nighty night daddy..." Ryoura whispered as he curled up, closing his eyes and drifting quickly to sleep.

-----------

"Huh? Wha?" Ryoura's sleepy eyes opened, only barely aware he had been taken from his bed and was now in his mother's arms. "M-Mommy? Wha's happenin'?" He asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up. It was still dark, why was his mother moving him?

Ryo looked back from the door as Casandra came down the stairs with Ryoura in her arms. He was holding the Millennium Ring in his hand, the spikes at the end pointing down the street, the eye in the centre glowing brightly. Running over to Casandra and Ryoura, he wrapped a cloth around the Millennium Ring and handed it quickly to Ryoura. "Ryoura, you have to keep this safe, ok?" He said, quickly but clearly in hopes the child would understand.

"Wha da you mean daddy?" Ryoura questioned, suddenly much more awake. He didn't get a response as a loud echoed and the front door flew passed the room. Startled, Ryoura clung to the Millennium Ring, unaware that his parents were moving. "Huh?" He looked up in confusion as parents placed him on the ground. He was in some sort of storeroom near the back of the house.

"Ok." Casandra whispered, glancing nervously over her shoulder. When she spoke her voice was serious but still kind. "Sweetie, you be good for mommy and stay in here. Don't make a sound and don't come out for any reason. Stay here." She repeated, kissing him quickly on the cheek before retreating and closing the door.

"Mommy?" Ryoura quickly covered hi mouth. _"Mommy told me not to talk."_ he thought, crawling forward and looking out a gap in the door. He could see all the way to the living room, where a man stood, someone he'd never seen before. The man was wearing sunglass' and was looking around the room in frustration.

"Where is it?" The man's cold voice hissed, causing Ryoura to shiver. Ryo and Casandra stood in front of him, Ryo standing before his wife with his arms blocking her protectively. "Even if we did have it, Kage, we would never give it to you. We know you only want it for evil purposes." Ryo growled. Kage chuckled and shook his head, and Ryoura was almost sure he saw a glow from under the mans glass'.

"You gave it to your pathetic excuse for a son, didn't you?" Kage asked, folding his arms. He smirked when Ryo growled. "You know you can't hide anything from me..." He's gaze turned in Ryoura's direction, causing the boy to stiffen. "He's hiding over there, and he has the Item." "Stay away from Ryoura!" Casandra yelled with such anger if surprised not only Ryoura, but Kage and Ryo to. Kage quickly recovered and smiled. "And just what can you do to stop me? I know your child has the gift to handle the Millennium Ring, that's why it reacts when he is close to it. He could be an... inconvenience for me..." He added with a grin.

Ryo's eyes grew wide. "You wouldn't... he's just a child! He hasn't done anything to you!"

"But he's a possible threat, therefore he must be disposed of. Just don't get in my way and I may just let you live." Kage turned and started walking towards the storeroom, causing Ryoura to grip the Ring in his hand tighter. What was he supposed to do know?

"No!" Ryo yelled, standing in the living room doorway, Casandra by his side, and blocking Kage from leaving. Kage looked lazily at the parents and smirked. Ryoura couldn't see him, but the man summoned a small ball of magic and tossed it beside him. It rolled rapidly along the floor, around the room, passed the parents and up and down the hall, leaving a long trail of fire wherever it went.

Kage raised his hand and went to withdraw something from the inside of his jacket, causing Ryo and Casandra to tense up. "I warned you." Withdrawing a dagger he quickly slashed across Ryo's chest, kicking the man in the stomach directly afterwards, then in the head so the man was now lying on his back.

"Ryo!" Casandra cried out, but before she could help Kage struck her back with the hilt of the dagger, causing blood to drip for her lip.

"Goodnight." Ryo said heartlessly as he grabbed Ryo by the shirt and pulled him slightly off the ground, twirling the dagger before plunging it into the man's chest. Ryo cried out, eyes shut tight in agony, but fell silent quickly, blood staining his shirt as he breathing slowed, before halting completely. Tearing the dagger out of the him, Kage dropped Ryo and turned to Casandra, grinning sinisterly.

"Ryo..." Casandra breathed, looking at her now dead husband with shock and horror. She was to shocked and afraid to speak, or even react, when Kage walked over and held the dagger in front of her face. He didn't wait for her to respond before, just like her husband, the dagger was stabbed right threw her heart. She collapsed almost instantly, he body limp and lifeless.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Ryoura called, banging on the door repeatedly in an attempt to get out, coughing heavily as he inhaled the smoke of flames around the house. Tears streamed down his face, revealing his broken heart. He yelped as fell back as the door was thrown open, Kage towering over the shivering five-year-old. Ryoura hugged the Millennium Ring tightly to his chest as the man demanded it, shaking his head.

"Very well..." Kage whispered, withdrawing the dagger once again. But before he could approach the boy, two hands wrapped around his wrists and pulled then roughly behind his back. "What the-?" He looked back in surprise at the police officer as his hands were cuffed. He would have used his magic to help, had he been more experienced with his item and had more power. A number of police where there, and he couldn't see any way out. He was caught.

Ryoura looked over at his parent's bodies and coughed heavily. "Mom-my.. Da-ddy..." he coughed as he tried to walk over to him. His vision blurred as the heat of the flames tore him from consciousness, his small body collapsing to the floor.

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To Be Continued

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I can't right anymore... I'm to sad, and I can feel a stomach ache coming on... I think it's from the guilt...  
Oh, I've been dreading this chapter for a while now... but hey, at least it's done now. I made right little family moments to show how close they were, did it work?  
Well, now you know why Ryoura has a fear of fire. Please review guys and slán slán for now.

Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  
adorablechickoritahotmail.com  
www.geocities.com/bayleefslibrary


	8. Bakura's Promise

Eck! It's been over a week sense I've updated! Bad me! -bashes self- Owww.... anyways, enjoy the chappy! The name could mean Bakura himself or the two Bakura's, choose for yourself **XD**

(Oh, and one thing... could someone explain the japenese terms on the stuff like... somethin'-chan, Yugi-san- ect. I really don't get it, and I read it everywhere....)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Seven - Bakura's Promise **

"After that I woke up in hospital..." Ryoura whispered, hugging his arms as his sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, Bakura sitting at the foot of the bed with his arms folded, expression blank. Ryoura's head was lowered, gazing blankly at his feet as he took in a shaky breath and continued, his voice slightly higher then it's usual tone. "I wasn't told they where dead until a few days later, not that I didn't know already..." he swallowed hard. "Then I had to go to court, until eventually they decided to lock him away. I never paid attention to what he'd said before, I thought... I thought that-"

"What did he say to you?" Bakura asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. Ryoura looked up at his other half with tear-filled eyes, trying in vain to dry them before continuing. "He said, 'I'll get you, you little brat... I'll get you like I got your parents'..."

Bakura couldn't help but growl at those words. To such a thing to a five-year-old was something even Bakura found to harsh, given his own childhood. He was surprised how similar he and Ryoura were; both had lost their families at a very young age (though he was sure Ryoura was younger, his memory not completely clear after so many millennia) and seen their family murdered for the sake of the Millennium Items. Sighing, he stood and walked around to the top of the bed beside Ryoura, sitting next to the boy who slid sideways subconsciously. "Better to get it all out now Ryoura."

Sighing heavily, Ryoura took a deep breath. "When the trial was over I had to live with my aunt, seeing as she was my only other relative..." he explained, then mumbled. "Though she wasn't exactly what you'd call nice..." Noticing Bakura's confused expression his sighed heavily. "She was a little gone in that head, and kind of abusive to me... But life's never _that_ nice to me is it? She decided I was nothing but trouble and I was stuck in an orphanage. I lived there for years, but went to the same school as Yujhi and the other."

"When I did go to school, kids used to always ask me why my parents where never there, and why I was always so sad. In the end I just faked happiness to keep them off my back. Eventually I grew into that personality and tried to forget about my past. I made friends with Yujhi and the others, as well as lots of other people, so life wasn't so bad."

"When I turned sixteen last year I left the orphanage and moved back to my old house, seeing as I owned it after my parents died and it was fixed up by the insurance company. It was hard living by myself... but I'm glad I have my old home, though at times it brings back bad memories..." Ryoura sniffed hard and hugged his knees to his chest, shutting his eyes as fresh tears began to form.

Bakura shook his head in pity, but Ryoura did not notice. He kept that bottled up all these years? To be honest, Bakura, in a way, felt partly responsible for how Ryoura's life had turned out. The whole thing had started over the Millennium Ring, which belonged to him more then anyone. If he had not been trying to steal the Millennium item's to begin with, Yugi would not have had to separate from Yami, Joey and all his friends to seal away the magic of the Item's, Ryou would not have spent five millennia of solitude only to be released in the end, Kage may not have been searching for the Millennium Ring and this whole mess wouldn't have started.

_"Wow... I've really messed up a lot of lives..."_ Bakura thought, frowning. He had never looked at it from that perspective before, and now it had hit him hard. Ryoura was the closest thing to family Bakura had since, well, his own family, and to be the cause of all his pain was a stab in the heart. "Ryoura... it's not your fault this happened." He began, a little uneasy, placing his hand on Ryoura's shoulder, flinching inwardly as Ryoura's tear-filled eyes looked towards him. "And I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you to beat yourself up about this. Do you think after all this time they'd want you to be acting his way?"

"But..." Ryoura swallowed hard, drying his eyes with the back of his hand. "I miss them..." he choked out in a barely audible tone. Bakura sighed and put his arm around Ryoura, rubbing his arm in an attempt to comfort him slightly. "I know, and I'm sure they miss you, but wouldn't they want you to make the best of your life? And... and I'm always there."

"I guess..." Ryoura whispered, leaning into his yami but gaze reverted back to his feet. "But... what if-?"

"I'm not going to abandon you." Bakura stated firmly, knowing where Ryoura was going with this. He shook his head and smiled down at the younger boy, glad in a way that Ryoura was worried about losing him. "Look, I'll make a deal with you." he let Ryoura go and shuffled so he was sitting in front of him.

"Ryoura, look at me," he snapped his fingers a few times to get the teens attention. When he finally got eye contact he continued. "I promise I'll never leave you, but only if you promise to stop living in the past. You can't dread and what has happened... Our lives involve to much attention on what will happen to worry about the past." He smiled as Ryoura laughed a little at his last playful remark. He held his hand out to Ryoura for a handshake. "What do you say? Is it a deal?"

Ryoura looked down at Bakura's hand with such confusion Bakura was tempted to ask did he know what a handshake was. But, before Bakura had a chance, Ryoura launched himself forward and latched around his other half, hugging him tight and pinning his arms to his side. "I promise Pep'..." he stated, smiling as he hugged Bakura tighter.

Taken by surprise, Bakura froze when Ryoura clung to him, looking at his hikari with confusion before smiling. "Ya ok, ok, get off." He said, trying to push Ryoura off but not forcefully. When Ryoura let go, Bakura jumped off the bed and stood up, looking back at Ryoura and grinning. "Ready to get our Millennium Ring back?"

Ryoura grinned and jumped up, punching the air with his fist. "Ya!"

-----------

"Oww..." Yujhi groaned in annoyance as he paced around the room. Where was Yugi? That was his main concern right now, the whereabouts of his yami. Yugi had taken most of the damage, as he seemed to do most of the time despite Yujhi's rejections. Yugi was much to stubborn for his own good, and that's what worried Yujhi right now. "What if they've really hurt him? Oh... Yugi, please be ok..." he mumbled, lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Aww.... worried about your protector? He's obviously off duty seeing as you're all alone."

Yujhi sat up quickly and looked over at the door, narrowing his eyes. Mark stood in the doorway, Millennium Rod in hand and a proud smirk on his face. He slammed the door shut and took a few further steps into the room, holding up something on it's usual gold-coloured chain; the Millennium Puzzle. "I challenge you to a Shadow Game Yujhi Mouto. The winner becomes possessor of the Millennium Puzzle." A grin spread across his features as he spoke, his eyes showing a spark of amusement.

"What?" Yujhi was surprised to find no signs of a joke as Mark was speaking. "No way, I'm not going to _fight_ you for the Millennium Puzzle, you just want it's power to rule the world."

"But what about your yami? I take it you don't care as much for his life as he cares for yours...?" Mark smirked as Yujhi's face paled. That had struck a cord. He threw the Millennium Puzzle to the boy and twirled his rod slightly like a baton, before holding it out in front of him. "Then let's begin, shale we?" A fast explosion of black, red and purple erupted from the Millennium Rod, surrounding both players in a tornado before halting, the darkness of the Shadow Realm consuming them.

Yujhi growled, but pulled the Millennium Puzzle over his neck. A warm tingling wave of magic coursed through him and he smiled at the familiar feeling. A soft glow escaped the Millennium Puzzle, as if recognising it's master as it had done many times before when Yugi would wear it. Yujhi closed his eyes and decided to try and contact his yami. _"Yugi?"_

There was no response. Yujhi tried again, and again, and again, before he realised the Puzzle was unoccupied. His eyes shot open and he glared at Mark angrily. "Where's Yugi?!" he yelled angrily, surprised at the volume and anger in his own voice. Mark simply chuckled and waved his hand nonchalantly. "He left on a trip, he's still alive if that's what your wondering."

"What did you do to him? Where is he?" Yujhi was fuming with anger now, but he didn't get a response. He was also worried as to what he was going to do about the Shadow game. The last time he had fought without Yugi was against Bakura, but even then he could see Yugi, giving him a little more confidence. Now he was completely alone and facing an opponent he knew nothing about.

Mark smirked as a glow erupted from the Millennium Rod, causing a deck of cards to appear before each player, shuffling itself before landing seemingly in thin air. This was going to be interesting... "Let's begin."

-----------

"Bakura your as slow as a tortoise! Speed it up!" Ryoura yelled back at his yami, who was trailing quite a bit behind him.

"Well _sor-ry_ if I don't spend the whole day running around the city!" Bakura yelled after him, grumbling in annoyance. Ryoura wasn't one for lazing about, and running was seemingly his favourite pastime, meaning he was much faster and energetic then his counter-part. Bakura sped up his pass slightly. "Do you even know where you're going?!"

"Oh." Ryoura stopped dead in his tracks, looking up. "I never thought of that..." Bakura, who had been unable to stop, crashed into his hikari and sent both of them to the floor. Recovering quickly because of the adrenaline coursing through him, Ryoura pushed himself to his feet, grabbing Bakura's arm and dragging him to his feet. "What do we do now?"

"Ryoura! Bakura!"

"Hm?" Ryoura looked back in confusion at the people running towards them, before waving excitedly. "Hey Steve, yo Joe! ... Hey, aren't you guys supposed to be in school?" he asked curiously, tilting his head. Steve and Joe stopped in front of him, stopping to calm themselves down.

"I was about to ask... you... the same... question..." Steve said through deep breaths. "Where were you? I was looking for you all lunch."

"Hospital." Ryoura stated, pulling the side of his shirt up just enough to show them the bandage, pointing at it. "You?"

"We're looking for you." Steve explained, looking over at Joe. "We got a huge problem..."

"And... you turned to me _why_?" Ryoura asked. Sure, he was commonly known for helping almost anyone and everyone, but why was he so important in this situation.

Joe was the next one to talk. "Bakura, Yugi's in danger."

"Marik?" Bakura was surprised to say the least, but the Millennium symbol on Joe's forehead and the one in his voice was proof that his former enemy was possessing the boy. "What do you mean?"

"My hikari is another me..." Marik mumbled in annoyance. "His family kidnapped Yugi and Yujhi to try and win the Millennium Puzzle, and it looks pretty bad. They already have the three God Monster, and they've somehow separated Yugi from Yujhi. The hikari can't win by himself, he hasn't mastered the powers of the Millennium Puzzle yet, unlike your hikari from what I've heard..." he glanced over at Ryoura, who grinned.

"And you thought we could help?"

'Joe' nodded and looked over at Steve who was speaking now. "Well we can't fight Millennium Magic held by the Ishtar's, and Marik only has temporary control over Joe. You and Ryoura are the only other people we know who control a Millennium Item."

Bakura sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, but there's a little bit of a problem... Someone stole the Millennium Ring this morning, and without it we can't summon very much magic... We have to get it back before we can help-"

"But it may be too late by then!" Steve yelled.

"Well do you have a better plan?" Bakura yelled back angrily.

"Um... guys?" Ryoura tried to speak up, but he was ignored.

"Bakura we have to act fast."

"And how do you propose we defeat the Ishtar without a full force of magic?"

"Guys....?"

"So your not going to help? Your just gonna sit here?"

"You talk pretty loud for a Kaiba."

"You talk pretty loud for a senior citizen."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Your ten thousand, duh!"

"Guys!" Ryoura yelled, quickly catching the attention of the group. He took in a deep breath and released it, talking in a calm voice. "Would you shut your faces for a second?" he asked in a fake innocent voice. He turned to Joe. "What's your hikari's name?"

"Mark Ishtar."

"Heh..." Bakura snorted. "Not very creative on names are they?"

"Bakura I know him." Ryoura said looking over at his yami.

"You do? How?"

"I met him the day of Kage's trail, Kage is his dad. He has a sister too, and I'm pretty sure all of them have Millennium Items."

"Great..." Bakura mumbled. "_Three_ Millennium Items verses two mortals, a tomb-robber and a sugar-run teen with very little magic... this keeps getting better and better!" he exclaimed in a bittersweet tone. "Well... at least we know where to look..."

"Right, so what are we waiting for?" Ryoura asked, looking around at the group. "Let's go get our friends and item's back!"

"Marik told me where they live, let's go!" Steve ordered. At that second Marik released his control over Joe, leaving a very confused teen looking around. "Huh? How'd I get here? Why aren't we in school?"

"Come on Joe!" Ryoura yelled as he ran passed him, dragging Bakura with him by the wrist. Joe looked back in confusion. "Ryoura? Where are we going?" He took off after the other three. "Hey! Come on guys, slow down! What's going on? Guys? Guys!"

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

Sorry for the crudiness peeps, I just couldn't figure how to start a part with Yugi. I'll have a part in the next time, okey?  
Now I'm trying to show a tiny bit more of Ryoura's character, because, well, let's just say this Ryoura has so much about him you guys may never know about. It's hard to have a character thats developed so much out of the story and then trying to create him for you guys.  
Ryoura is literally like a **_yami_** to me. When I'm brainstorming idea's with my sis it sometimes involves a bit of role-playing, and when I, as my sister and me put it, go into 'Ryoura mode' I suddenly have a whole different way of thinking and wording stuff. It's kinda weird... but oh so fun!  
...  
I'm scarin' yaz ain't I -sweatdrops- heh heh... Welp, I've been to therapy before... no really I have! Cross my heart! (speech therapy! heehee)  
Welp, guess I'll shut up now... please review and slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	9. The Tortures of Death

**NOTE!**  
I need to know what you guys think or this; I dunno how I can end this now. That characters seem to only be developing now and the way I have this planned seems a bit rushed on an ending.  
** I need to know do you guys think I should make the story longer or what. I don't care if it's finished in three chappys or ten, it's up to you guys.**  
I don't wanna force another story-line on peeps who don't want one. ok? so PLEASE vote!

Hey guys! Lookie! -points- Two updates in two days! I'm a good girl, yupyup -nodnod- heehee. Thankies for the reviews peeps, they's awesome!

**Response to Reviews:**  
**bookdragon**: I know, me mom longs to mock the characters, she thinks they's weird... but I'm lucky, my sisters long Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beyblade and, well, everything I like more-or-less. To bad, but yaz never know, maybe they'd be someone to talk to yaz bout it **XD**. Glad yaz liked the chappy!

**gladdecease**: Glad yaz liked! Ya... poor Ryoura. He's past was made up from the start, kinda based on an original charry I have called Ethan, cept his whole village was destroyed (made this up before Yu-Gi-Oh!, so I didn't copy Pepper's past). Thankies for reviewin'!

**Pooka228**: Beware, I suck at Shadow Games -sweatdrops- Yupyup, poor Salty -glomps Ryoura- I named one of my pokémon Salty and the other Pepper **XD** heehee. Thankes for the review!

**YumeTakato**: Sorry this took so long -bashes self- oww... enjoy!

**A peep with cutural ref**: Ooooh... thanks for explanin'! Oh but I have to say they suck, I'll never get better if I praise meself, will I? ... It's a habbit, must crit all I do to do better next time... Thanks for the review and explanation! Enjoy!

**Chicary**: I've got my sis' Irene (Joey's Girl) to thank for rping, me and her be up til well after midnight pretendin;' to be the characters, tis fun! I'm usually Yugi, Ryoura and a few others, she does most of the others though -sweatdrops- ya, me lazy. She should be a voice actor, she's great at pretendin' to be on the verge of tears! ... Ok, went off topic there.. thanks for the review!

**padfootgrl126**: What does PMS mean? Glad yaz liked the chappy, hope yaz like this one too!

**Ashla**: Bad Suzie reading the last chapter without my permission! You and Irene both know how it ends, so I trust yaz won't tell anyone. Glad you enjoyed yourself readin' those parts **XD** Enjoy this part too!

**Imp is Insane**: My fanfics could get me murdered in school, heehee... Well, Ryoura's past is more or less cleared up, but any questions go ahead and ask, I'll try add 'em to the story, kk? Therapy good... yupyup. Course I was at Speech therepy when I was about eight or nine coz... I couldn't say my 'r's. ... yup, I talked like a baby, stuff like 'wailway twack' (railway track) heehee -sweatdrops- ANYVAY, enjoy the chappy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Eight - The Tortures of Death **

Mark drew three cards and instructed Yujhi to do the same, fanning them out in front of him. Three monsters where in his hand, as where in Yujhi's. The decks he had created had only monsters within them, suitable for the game they where about to play. Grinning, he looked up and Yujhi, folding his arms in such a way that he didn't damage the cards in his hands.

"The rules are simply, _Yujhi_," he began, holding the cards in front of him. "We each choose a monster from our hands and hold it in front of us, but don't let the other player see it. One of us then decided whether we think our monster is stronger or weaker then the opposing creature. If said player is correct, he can summon his monster, but if he is wrong, the opponent can summon his own creature. We draw each turn to keep three cards in our hands. We keep summoning monsters until one player cannot last any longer. Understand?" His voice was taunting, a smirk appearing on his features.

Yujhi swallowed hard and looked down. This was a complete game of luck, not skill. There was very little he could do to insure his victory, what if he lost? His gaze fell on the Millennium Puzzle, the usually warm metal was now ice cold without the presence of the spirit within it. He narrowed his eyes, a flare of anger burning inside him. He could only to his best, for Yugi.

"Ready?" Mark asked, holding up a card. Yujhi did likewise. "So, is my monster strong or weaker then yours?"

Mark was confident, causing Yujhi to feel uneasy as he chose his monster, Black Land Fire Dragon. This monster had an attack of 1500. _"He's just trying to freak you out Yujhi, take it easy."_ Biting his lip, he looked up at Mark. His dragon was too powerful, so he took a chance. "Higher?" he asked, both cards instantly flying out of their owners hands and hovering in front of him. Both monsters turned to the opponent and Yujhi frowned.

Mark's monster was Hibikime, an earth, warrior-type monster with only 1450 attack points. Yujhi's dragon card was destroyed, shattering like glass, whilst Marks card glowed a bright yellow. The form of Hibikime appeared next to Mark; a tall, grey-skinned, female warrior with long blue hair, a silver crown, silver armlets, green dress and a large, blue scythe. Her dark black eyes bore into Yujhi's very soul, causing him to shiver. Suddenly, the monster disappeared in a blur. Looking around frantically, Yujhi failed to spot the creature. "What's going on?"

"I, did I forget to mention that?" Mark asked in fake shock. Yujhi's gaze feel back on him, but in that instant Hibikime appeared behind him, swinging her scythe and slashing down his back. Yujhi cried out in agony and collapsed to his knees, the monster flipping through the air and landing softly on the ground next to her master. Mark chuckled and narrowed his eyes. "Any monster we summon attacks the opponent instantly."

Yujhi panted heavily, reaching his hand back and tracing it along his lower back. Though his fingers ran across the area that was attacked, there was no mark. _"It's the Shadow Realm, be must have decided against physical injuries."_ Yujhi concluded as he pulled himself to his feet, back still aching. He was feeling kind of divided all of a sudden, like a part of him was missing.

Drawing his next card Yujhi added it to his hand. He decided to pick Swordstalker, dark monster, warrior-type with 2000 attack points. "Your call Mark."

-----------

"Ha! I won!" Yugi through the control in the air as Yami's warrior fell before Yugi's, wincing as the sound of smashing glass signalled the end of his lamp's life at the hands of his flying control pad. Yami and Yugi had been playing every video game they could find. Solomon was out for the evening at a gaming convention in another city, and Yugi had the sudden urge to close the shop early and open as many interesting video games as they could from the shop then repack it before his grandfather came home. Unfortunately, he was feeling pretty lazy right now and didn't feel like playing after two different fighting games.

Yami, on the other hand, was as fresh as a daisy. He had found his was into the sweet cupboard and downed enough sugar to last him a week. Yugi was expecting him to spring off the sofa and start bouncing off the walls any second. It was 6:15 when his grandfather came in the door, just as they put the last game away.

It was only about an hours worth of playing, but forbidden games are always more fun even on a limited amount of time.

"Hey grandpa!" Yugi exclaimed, waving happily at his grandfather. He bombarded him with questions about the convention, following him through the shop and into the kitchen. He wished he hadn't followed him to the kitchen, because it was then that Solomon realised they needed more food.

"Do I really have to get the groceries this late in the evening Grandpa?" Yugi asked lazily, leaning heavily against the wall as if it was a great effort to even stand. He really didn't feel like going to the shop now.

Solomon chuckled at his grandsons attitude. "Yugi, it's only 6:30, and the shops just down the road."

"Ya but still..." Yugi folded his arms, pouting heavily. Yami had just entered the room and smiled over at his lighter half. "Do you want me to come with you?" he offered kindly.

Yugi looked up and smiled at Yami. He loved being around his friends again. Grinning slightly Yugi shook his head. "Nah, your the one who eats half the food in the house anyway, the bags would be empty by the time we got back." he turned and darted out the door as quickly as he could, grabbing the money off the counter as he went. He heard Yami yell what he was sure was 'hey' after him. He laughed and waved back as he left the house. "See ya Yami!"

As he reached the shop an odd feeling overcame him, like a soft mist was settling on his soul. Suddenly he was torn from his body, a powerful force lifting his spirit ten feet off the ground. "What the?" Looking down, he was surprised to see that his body was unaffected, darting into the store and collected what was needed. "What's going on?"

There was a bright flash as his settings changed, bringing him back to his house by the stairs. He jumped as an angry voice exploded through the house.

"I don't need to tell you anything unless I want to, quit thinking you can boss me around!"

That was him. He saw himself running up the stairs, a very pained expression in his eyes. Before he could do anything, his vision flashed and he appeared above the school grounds. Looking down he spotting himself storming away from Joey. Once he, himself, was out of sight, Joey through his arms in the air angrily yelling, "What's gotten into him?"

Another flash, once again the settings changed. He was inside an eerie, stone room, hieroglyphics all along the walls. Below him he spotted Yami's arms being grabbed by two people, one similar to Mark while the other much like Ryoura.

"Yugi!" Yami cried, Yugi's solid form collapsing to the floor. The Mark look-alike and Ryoura look-alike collapsed also and Yami darted to Yugi's side.

_"This... this is when I was sealed in the Millennium Puzzle, when I sacrificed myself..."_ Yugi thought, tears brimming in his eyes as Yami held his limp form in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he apologized repeatedly for letting him down. _"I caused him so much pain... how could I do that to him?"_

The image faded slowly, abandoning him to a space of darkness. He was only left to the peaceful shadows for mere seconds before colours exploded before his eyes, taking on an instant form before his eyes. "Oh no..." he whispered. This was not a memory, nor an event he wished to be present at. He never thought he would see his own funeral.

There where so many people there, Yugi was surprised. Yami, Joey, Téa, Tristan, his grandfather... even Seto Kaiba, whom he knew didn't seem to even think of Yugi as anything more but dirt on his shoe. Obviously he had some respect for the boy. There where many faces, some of whom Yugi, regretfully, did not recognise. Yami was seated to the right Yugi's grandfather, eyes shadowed by his lightning-shaped bangs, tears streaming down his face and body shaking. Two other people next to Solomon, whilst Joey had seated himself next to Yami, his hand on the former-pharaohs shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort.

Yugi knew those other two people, they where his parents. His mother had been away visiting his father for a few months. She had left only a few weeks before Yami was released from the puzzle, and Yugi remembered praying she would be home before he had to sacrifice his soul, so he could give her one last hug, one last goodbye. It never happened.

His father he had seen very little of in the past few years of his life. He lived away from home for business reasons, but always stayed in contact with his family. _"Figures the one time he could get away from work to see me would be at my funeral..."_ Yugi thought sadly, tears streaming down his face. The words of the priest fell on deaf ears, Yugi's attention locked fully on his yami.

"Yami... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you..." Yugi choked out, though he knew he couldn't be heard.

The memory seemed to skip from there, because he suddenly found himself in the cemetery, but everyone was gone save for a few. It took much longer for his grandfather to leave, and even longer for his parents to depart, but what surprised him was that, well past midnight, Yami and Joey didn't leave his grave. It was touching, but heart-breaking.

Only then did he realise what was going on, why his memories were relaying like this. These may not be his memories, but they were new to him, and worse then anything he had been through, because he knew he could not comfort nor resolve the pain he had created. Someone was forcing these memories on him, someone was making him see the pain he had caused. He created these heartaches and now he had to suffer the aftermath from which he should have been released.

He had sealed himself to save the world and, more importantly, his yami. But now, all his sacrifices, all the pain and loneliness that consumed his soul, seemed for nothing. Was he good for nothing but causing pain? He dried some of the tears from his eyes, but they where quickly replaced. _"All I cause is pain..."_ he thought silently, wincing as Yami cried out his name to the sky, his shattered heart evident in his voice.

-----------

A loud smashing sound echoed through the Ishtar household, the front door lying in splinters in the hall while Bakura and Ryoura stood in the doorway. "Knock, knock!" Ryoura exclaimed happily, Bakura smirking at the power of the magic even when separated from the Millennium Ring.

"You know... the plan was to enter _quietly!_" Steve whispered harshly as the four comrades entered the house quickly, Bakura leading the way with Ryoura by his side, Steve and Joe not far behind. Bakura skidded to a stop at a corner and peeked around for signs of movement. There where none.

"You wanted to do this the easier way?" Bakura asked, then scoffed. "One word Kaiba, _boring_... We're Bakura's," he gestured to himself and Ryoura. "We prefer to do things the hard way."

"Ya!" Ryoura agreed, nodding. Steve and Joe rolled their eyes; those two were way to hyped right now.

"Ryoura was a bad influence on him ain't 'e?" Joe whispered to Steve, who chuckled.

Bakura shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Ok, seriously though-"

"Aww..."

"Shush Ryoura, we have to find that Kage guy. We only have limited resources until we get the Millennium Ring back," Bakura explained, darting down a coridor and stopping at the end of the hall, looking left and right. "Let's just hope we can find him before we have a family of magic-users to face."

-----------

Ilia frowned as she entered the room in which Yugi's body was resting, seeing her father standing next to him with his hand on the boys forehead. Yugi had a rather pained expression on his face, eye shut tight and breaths shaky. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly. Her father was a very strong magic-user, so she tried her best to stay on his good side.

"The job your brother started." Kage explained with a grin. Ilia winced as Yugi's body jerked in response to the unfamiliar magic coursing through him. His system was not accustomed to other Millennium magic, so his instinct automatically told him to move away from it. Though Yugi's mind was unaware of it, his body was being tortured painfully, causing his reactions. Her father was clearly messing with Yugi's mind, torturing him in ways she could only guess.

Sighing, she leaned against the wall. Even if she wanted to do anything, she couldn't. He father was too powerful. She bit her lip as Yugi cried out in pain, but was unable to do anything about it. _"This isn't fair... I know we want to control the Millennium Puzzle, but is there really a call for torture? Yugi and Yujhi haven't even done anything wrong..."_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a glow from her Millennium Necklace, an image forming in her minds eye. Bakura, Ryoura, Steve and Joe were darting down another corridor. Her eyes grew wide. They were in the house! What were they thinking? She quickly turned and left the room, though slow enough so she did not get her fathers attention. "Steve you idiot..." she mumbled as she raced down the corridor.

She didn't want them suffering unnecessarily too, she had to get them out of there.

-----------

Yujhi gasped, coughing heavily as the Sword Hunter's blade was torn from his chest in a quick and excruciatingly painful manor. He dropped to his knees, but had to steady himself on his shaky hands. His face was abnormally pale, beads of sweat pouring down his face while he shivered from pain.

"What a mighty warrior you are." Mark mocked, chuckling at Yujhi attempts to stand, though his legs gave way under him again. "Why not just give up now and save yourself a whole lot of pain? Do you really think you stand a chance against me with you ridiculous army?"

Yujhi swallowed hard, but quickly broke into a coughing fit. He was not doing very well. Mark had a number of eight monsters by his side, while Yujhi only had a Koumori Dragon, a Flame Swordsman and a Dark Magician Girl. Mark never got his turn wrong, which Yujhi was starting to believe was more then just luck.

The worst part of it was, his spiritual state was torn. With even monsters attack a part of his soul was pounded, sliced or torn away from him, leaving him weaker with every turn. The monsters he did summon offered so confidence, but with each monster his soul was torn again to power them, to keep them by his side. He didn't know how much longer he could last.

Mark smirked at the boy on the floor, who's weak form struggled to his feet slowly. Everything was perfect. Yujhi's chances of winning were slim to none. This game was a game of luck... at least, for Yujhi it was.

When both decks where created, Mark had on categorised some monsters into his and Yujhi's. The monsters with Yujhi's deck ranged between attack points of 1500 to 2300, while all of Mark's were higher then 2300, or lower then 1500. In other words, he always knew whether Yujhi's where strong or weaker. Cheating? He didn't think so, Yujhi agreed to use that deck, therefore it was not against the rules.

Without Yugi to protect him, Yujhi didn't stand a chance against the Shadow Realm, and Mark was going to savour every cry of agony, ever shredded piece of the young boys soul, until his body was no more then a shell, his soul destroyed forever.

_"A few more attacks and Yujhi will be gone..."_

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

Ok! Thats all for now! LONGEST CHAPPY! Whacha think? Good? Bad? I go for the latter.  
Hope yaz liked it none-the-less. Please review and slán slan for now peeps!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	10. Ilia's Allegiance

Hey guys! Sorry for da late update... there's a part cut out of this so that's why it's short -sweatdrops- thankies for da reviews peeps! You guys are the best! 

**Response to Reviews:**  
**Pooka228**: Sorry if this updates to late, me's bad person! -twaps self, again- heehee... welp, you got that right about Ilia wantin' to help, but read on and you'll find out about it, enjoy! 

**Chicary**: I know, Poor Yujhi's like Yugi, done nothin' wrong but suffers all the same. Poor Yamyam... -glomps- I hate doing this to him! -starts writing this chappy- ... I hate it, but it must be done -is mean- Thanks for the review! 

**Sorceress Vanessa**: no prob about the last chappy, no biggie. As for your opinion, do you just want it to stay coz the Soul Destruction stuff is dedicated to you as well as Teloka, Joey's Girl and Ashla? heehee, kiddin', I'll take it into account. I need to find out if I'm going anywere with this. Glad yaz liked the chappy! Hope yaz like this one! 

**gladdecease**: The last chappy is actually written, and the only changes will be to make it sound better. It's a mixture of good and bad, yaz'll see... Thanks for your opinion, I suppose I'll work on a story-line before I start deciding whether to carry on or not. Glad yaz like it! 

**Crickett**: Thanks for the review! Glad yaz liked! 

**padfootgrl126**: Nah, me's had now clue what PMS meant, heehee. Glad yaz worried about Yujhi, he was turnin' into Yugi, not enough screen time, thats why I introduced the shadow game. Millennium Sponge...? Interesting... I don't have a Millennium Item, but my sister and I have dubbed my fave necklace my 'Stronger-then-millennium-item Item' ...Ya, we're nuts... we even made up little story-lines where we met Bakura and Ryoura and Bakura wanted it, but we were to hyper and he got scared -sweatdrops- I'll shut up now... 

**YumeTakato**: This a late update! Bad me! -bashes self- Sorry for the late update! -gives you Yugi plushie- There! huggle it! 

**Ashla**: Heehee, I think yous was the only person that noticed, but me's fixed it. I hurt Yujhi! Me's so mean! RYOURA!!  
**Ryoura**: -appears- Yes?  
-gives him Ashla's mallet- Kill me.  
**Ryoura**: What?! Why me?  
Coz your the only one that pops up when I call you.  
**Ryoura**: Umm... look! Fairies!  
Where?!  
**Ryoura**: -runs-  
Hmm? Ryoura? Where the fairies? 

**PyroDragon2006**: Think your the only one whose given me a straight out answer, heehee, here! Have a cookie! -gives cookie- hate it when com-put-er's mess up for no reason, least it's better now. -pets your computer- Enjoy the chappy! 

**Imp is Insane**: Awwww.... that's one of the nicest things anyones ever said! Thank you! I wouldn't know, the movie was totally awesome in my opinion, but thanks so much! -glomps- Hope yaz enjoy this chappy. 

**hikari**: Ya, I'll ask your opinion. Since Shadi's supposedly the same guy from 5,000 before Yugi's time, would he still be around now considerin' he was already... sorta... dead? hmm... Yup, Kage so evil I want to bash his head in, but I guess I need him for the end of the story... curses... Heehee, Ryoura and co., thats how the groups are known when he's in them, and yup, they's the comic relief **XD** Hope yaz enjoy the chappy! 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

**Chapter Nine - Ilia's Allegiance **

"High....higher..." Yujhi breathed heavily, the card drifting away from him and turning to face Mark's. Luckily, Yujhi's was Harpies Brother stronger then Mark's Silverfang, so his flying creature was summoned and put on direct assault against Yujhi's opponent. Yujhi was almost positive he was hyperventilating, his mind becoming dizzy from lack of strength and the burning feeling in his lungs making him feel light-headed. 

Four monster on his side, while Mark's small army consisted of nine. He didn't stand a chance. Not only was he outnumbered and assaulted brutally, but the Shadow Realm was preying on his weakened soul, while his monsters used his spiritual strength to remain physical. With ever monster he summoned a part of him departed into the monsters being, and with ever monster he was attacked with he lost a piece of himself to the shadows. 

He was terrified. 

But he didn't give up. Every time he saw the Millennium Puzzle he couldn't help but think of Yugi and how he wouldn't give up if he was in the same situation. He couldn't give up, not when Yugi was counting on him. He wasn't weak of spirit, he would duel to his death, which he was quite positive was looming over him every second that passed, staring hungrily at his now weak and fragile form. 

Mark was weakened also, as most of his monsters where weaker rather then more powerful then Yujhi's, but he had great experience in the Shadow Realm, and his magical abilities were much stronger. He growled as Yujhi leaned heavily against his Koumori Dragon, the dragon lowering it's head beside him for him to use for support. _"Why won't he fall?"_ he wonder, holding up another card. Yujhi was tougher then he expected, he had to admit, but his loss was inevitable all the same. He grinned at the card he drew, holding it up. "Your monster is weaker." 

Sure enough, Yujhi's Curse of Dragon paled next to Mark's Seiyaryu. The mythical, dark pink and slightly dinosaur-like dragon had an attack power of 2500. _"That's to strong..."_ Yujhi thought fearfully as the dragon appeared, a low growl emitting from the purple dragon beside him. A fury of white, glowing flames erupted from the dragons mouth, pouring over him as he cried out in agony. Ever nerve in his body was on fire, his lungs burning as he cried out, eyes shut tight and limbs weak. His knees buckled and legs gave way beneath him, but a pair of arms grabbed him around his torso. 

Looking up he was surprised to see his Dark Magician Girl was standing behind him, her arms wrapped around him in an attempt to keep him standing. She smiled reassuringly at him and tried to help him once again to his feet, though he found himself unable to stand. Instead, she stood next to him, arm around him to help him stand. 

_"What is going on?"_ Mark growled in anger. This was highly unusual behaviour for the monster to take on. Why were they helping him? Usually the monsters obeyed commands and only that alone, no personal feelings were involved. But Yujhi.... for some reason some of his monsters seemed genuinely worried about his well-being; Koumori Dragon and Dark Magician Girl namely. "You've got to be kidding me..." he mumbled. Yujhi was drawing another card. "Why don't you just give up already?!" 

Coughing heavily, Yujhi's raspy breaths indicated his breathing difficulties. He felt sickeningly dizzy and found himself wishing death would take him. The Dark Magician Girl seemed to sense his thoughts and took his hand, squeezing it tightly to reasure him. "...Y-yours i-is.... weaker...." 

----------- 

"Big house isn't it?" 

"Ryoura..." 

"Well it is!" Ryoura whispered back at Steve as he and Bakura looked around yet another corner. "We've been running for ages and can't seem to get anywhere." 

"He actually has a point..." Joe pointed out. "We haven't been getting anywhere, all these corridors seem the same..." 

Bakura listened to the conversation, his mind curious also. Why hadn't they been getting anywhere? The house was big, but not enough so for them to be lost for this long, and they hadn't been going in circles, he was sure of that. He stopped in his tracks, causing a short-lived domino of people bumping into him, then stepping away. He shut his eyes and lowered his head, concentrating. 

"Pep' whacha doin'?" Ryoura question, tilting his head. When he didn't get a response, he literally hopped up next to his yami and poked him in the arm. Bakura shot a glare towards Ryoura, but the teen merely blinked in confusion. "What?" 

Bakura sighed heavily. "I'm trying to concentrate... there's a magical force at work here..." 

"What kind of force?" Joe asked, looking around rather nervously. He had really come to hate magic lately, especially after the others had explained that a five-thousand-year-old spirit had invaded and taken over his mind. Needless to say he was severely freaked. 

"I don't know..." Bakura admitted, looking around the corridor, "But it's strongest here. Whatever it is it's stopping us from advancing any further into the house, most likely making an invisible portal so we keep running in circles. It wasn't active earlier, I would have sensed it when we entered the house." 

Ryoura walked further down the corridor, trying to find a difference in the path or some sort of visible sign magic was at work. "Can't we break through it?" 

"Our magic isn't strong enough." 

Steve growled and through his arms in the air. "What now? Yujhi could be dying somewhere and we're stuck in a frickin' illusion!" 

"Calm down..." Joe whispered, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder, only to have it hit away again. 

"How can I calm down?" Steve yelled as he spun around to face the group, who were looking at him with slight surprise. "It's my fault they got into this mess! If I hadn't told them about Ilia then they wouldn't have bumped into that Mark guy and they'd still be at home now!" He stopped to turn and punch the wall hard with his fist. "Why did I tell them about her... I guess I thought I could trust her..." 

"What made you think that?" 

"I dunno..." Steve whispered in response to Joe's question, leaning his forearm against the wall and shutting his eyes. He couldn't understand it himself. Though he said he didn't trust her first off, he sort of had. _"Why did I think I could trust her? She's mysterious, snobby, a little weird __and_ she KISSED me against my will! ... She's cute though... Whoa! Rewind! What did I just think?" he blushed to himself at his own comment, receiving a few odd glances from the others. He was just glad the were a bit pre-occupied with trying to discover the source of magic and how to get around it. 

"You like Ilia don'cha?" 

"Wha?" Steve jumped as Ryoura's playful voice sounded behind him, spinning around to face the grinning teen. He could feel his face growing slightly warmer. "Wh-wh-what are you talking about?" 

"Well," Ryoura started, folding one arm across his chest and pointing at Steve with the other, a grin still set on his face. "You shut up straight after talking about her, then ya blushed for 'no reason'," he air quoted as he spoke, "and NOW your stuttering like an ancient engine. Admit it. You like her!" 

"I don't!" Steve protested positively, glancing back to make sure Bakura and Joe weren't listening. Ryoura just grinned knowingly, folding his arms and awaiting an answer. Steve looked at him. The gaze gave him doubts. "...Do I...?" 

"Puppy love!" Ryoura exclaimed in a voice that, once again, was rather unlike his own. He hugged Steve playfully, grinning. "How cute!" 

"Shut up..." Steve growled, pulling away from the younger boy, who merely laughed at his embarrassed expression. 

"It's gone." 

"Huh?" Joe, Steve and Ryoura questioned in unison, eyes landing on the former tomb-robber standing a little further up the corridor. 

"The magic.... it just, stopped." Bakura seemed surprised, but more worried. If that magic was stopped, did that mean they were too late? "Come on, let's get moving!" he ordered instantly, darting down the corridor with Ryoura almost instantly by his side, Joe and Steve quickly following. 

"Stop!" 

"Ilia?" Steve froze on the spot and spun around. Sure enough a little further down the corridor stood Ilia, a soft glow disappearing from the Millennium Necklace she was wearing. He tilted his head at her. She looked worried. "What?" The others had stopped in their tracks also and were looking back, clearly as bewildered as Steve. 

Ilia walked down the corridor quickly, speaking loudly as she did so. "You have to get out of here, this is the only warning I'm giving you." 

"Warning?" 

"My father will kill you on sight if you don't get out of here." Ilia explained as she stopped in front of Steve, avoiding his eyes as she looked back at the Bakura's. "You two won't stand a chance, he wants you dead, Ryoura." 

"I'm not leaving without Yugi and Yujhi," Ryoura growled, voice uncharacteristically angry and serious, "not to mention the Millennium Ring. Even if he's the strongest person in the world, I don't care. I'm. Not. Leaving." 

Bakura nodded in agreement, as did the others. He could understand Ryoura's harshness towards Ilia, after all she was the daughter of his parents murderer. Ilia bit her lip nervously, shaking her head. "Now, you don't-" 

"Look here Miss Kiss-A-Kaiba," Joe started, earning a glare from Steve, "we're not leaving here without our friends and weapons of mass destruction, ya got that? It's obvious your not all bad, and thanks for the warning, but we've made up our mind." 

"Are you with us or against us?" 

Ilia looked torn and confused, making Steve feel slightly guilty for asking her that last question. Sighing, he shook his head and smiled reassuringly at her. "Look, it's ok, we don't expect you to turn on your family. Just let us go our way and you go-" 

"With you?" Ilia looked up and Steve and smiled slightly. "I know my way around here, I can get you to Yugi." 

Ryoura was not completely pleased with the turnout, but tried his best not to react (Or rather attack) when she walked past him. Bakura was similar, not sure whether to trust her or not, and Joe decided to wing it, hope for the best. Steve was the only one that seemed happy with the new group member. 

"Alright, we have to hurry." Ilia warned as the group made their way down the corridor once again. "Yugi's in serious danger, and if we don't get there soon we may not be able to bring him back." 

----------- 

To Be Continued 

----------- 

Ok... this IS a CRAPPY CHAPPY and I know it! This part had another 3 or 4 kb to it... but I decided to leave it to the next part... don't kill me!  
**Yugi will be in the next part, kk?**  
Don't kill me coz I suck at planning... I'll trying update again soon, ok? Ok, better go before yaz all kill me... slán slán!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	11. Death's Shadow

Hey guys! I know the last chappy was short, so this ones the longest yet **XD** , ain't I nice? Thankies for da review guys, you guys rock!

**Warning: Very dark chappy, not at all happy or positive in the end...**

Oh and... This chappys not put together very well... Sorry/Gomen/Whatever you understand! … Then again a lot more happens in this part XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Ten - Death's Shadow **

"Yami-i, please st-op..." Yugi cried helplessly, covering his eyes to try and stop the flow of tears escaping him. Yami was sitting in what used to be Yugi's room, trying desperately to piece together the Millennium Puzzle. It had been like this for weeks, and Yugi had somehow suffered every minute of it in a short amount of natural time.

It was the same nearly every day; the only sleep Yami got was when he collapsed while trying in vain to piece together the Millennium Puzzle, and spent most of his days at the cemetery 'talking' to Yugi and asking him if he was putting the Puzzle together right. He wouldn't talk to anyone else, and he refused to eat anything while he was working.

Yami was seriously started to lose it, and he looked terrible. His clothes, which were once semi-tight fitting, were now slightly loose (which shocked everyone considering it didn't seem he could lose any more weight) and filthy, seeing as most days he wasn't bothered to change. His skin was ghostly pale, almost grey, and eye's blood-shot and dark. The lines under his eyes stood out among his pale skin, his hair was mated and dirty. It was heartbreaking to see one so strong now so weak, especially when Yugi considered Yami his brother rather then guardian.

He had to get out of there. But how? His magic was gone, his mind weak and spirit exhausted. To make matters worse he had no control over what was happening around him. Where he went, what he saw, what he heard... he was trapped, and to weak to break out...

_"Please... someone... help me..."_

-----------

Kage removed his hand from Yugi's forehead as the boy cried out again in pain, tears of pain streaming down his face. Though unconscious, his body squirmed and jerked in pain, trying to find a way to lay comfortably, but it was impossible. Eventually he lay still, save for the uncontrollable shivers coursing through his body. Kage grinned, a small gleam surrounding his Millennium Eye.

"We're almost done here..." he whispered to himself, reaching out towards a book lying on the table beside Yugi. Then something caught his eye. Beside the book lay the Millennium Ring, still and lifeless, only the slightest wave of magic emitting from it. "Hmm..." He reached past the book and picked up the Ring in his hand, fingers stroking the surface thoughtfully.

-----------

"Bakura?" Ryoura looked over the spirit of the Ring, sensing an unexpected feeling of discomfort and anger from his darker half. "What's wrong?"

The rest of the group turned their attention towards the two boys, but a glare from the former tomb-robber signalled that if there was anything wrong it was none of their business. Whilst Ilia, Steve and Joe continued on, the Bakura's fell a little behind. "Well?" Ryoura looked at his yami quizzically.

"I don't really know what's wrong, I just know there's something not right..."

"Is it the Ring?"

"Could be..." Bakura was pretty sure it was the Millennium Ring making him feel this way. He was directly connected to the item, despite the distance. When it was in the hands of another he could sense it, and he knew that, at this moment, Kage had he filthy, greedy hands on his Millennium Ring. That's what sparked his anger. "He's planning something..."

-----------

_"Maybe I should dispose of the Bakura's first, I don't want them threatening my plans... I know..."_ a smirk spread across his face, his fingers gripping the rope the Millennium Ring hung from. Holding the item in front of him he raised his hand, a soft glow emitting from his Millennium Eye. He began to mutter the words of a spell, focusing his magic, which formed around the item like numerous three-inch daggers. Grinning, he muttered the last word of the spell harshly. The daggers dove forward, driving deeply into the centre of the Millennium Symbol.

_"Come to me, Ryoura..."_

-----------

"Ah!" Bakura's legs gave away from under him the very instant a powerful wave of pain shot through him, causing him to collapse on his side. His body was on fire, but namely his heart burned in pain, as if a flaming hand had gripped it and was twisting it mercilessly, trying to tear it from his chest.

In the distance he was sure he could hear his name being called and was barely aware he was being shaken. A feeling of darkness was blanketing his mind slowly, though he tried desperately to ward it off. His energy was draining, he couldn't hold out mush longer... No, he had to remain conscious. He couldn't give into the darkness. He may never wake up again.

"Bakura what's wrong!" Steve yelled. Bakura, oblivious to his own actions, was crying out and writhing in pain, trashing in such a violent manner Joe had to help Steve pin him down. What ever was wrong with him, his mind was definitely not focusing.

"Ilia, what's wrong with him?" Ryoura asked, his voice fearful at his yami's unpredictable outbursts.

Ilia stood, frozen to the spot, staring at the thrashing tomb-robber, whose actions where slowing with each passing second. "My father must have put a spell on the Millennium Ring. Because your friend is linked to it, he must... be... Ryoura?" Her gaze landed on the teen next to her, whose attention seemed to have reverted to the end of the corridor. Confused, she waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Anybody in there?"

"The Millennium Ring..." Ryoura whispered, his voice almost a whisper as he spoke. Ilia looked at him in confusion as he turned and walked a few steps down the corridor before stopping again. When he spoke next, his voice was dazed, as if he had been hypnotized. "It's magic is stronger now, somehow..."

"Ryoura?" Ilia repeated, but she received no response.

"Bakura...?" Joe looked down at the spirit, who had suddenly fallen completely silent, body limp and breaths quiet, almost inaudible. Afraid, Joe checked for a pulse, finding a weak one. His eyes suddenly widened. "Um... R-Ryoura? What's going on with him?" he asked, taking a few steps away from the tomb-robber's motionless form. Steve didn't likewise, a look of shock matching Joe's.

Ilia tilted her head, confused, when Ryoura made no response. His eyes were glazed over, as if he was hypnotised. Frowning, she looked back at Bakura, walking over and standing beside the tomb-robber. "What on Earth...?"

Bakura's form was translucent, paled like a ghost though he was still quite solid. Kneeling down next to him she picked up his hand, only to have it slip through her palm, as if she suddenly wasn't there. What was going on? A soft glow emitted from th Millennium Necklace as she concentrated, studying Bakura's condition carefully but softly as not to alert his mind to her presence. She couldn't have him throwing up mental barriers and blocking her away from him. Opening her eyes she frowned. "Whatever's happening, Bakura's life force is dissolving, fast." she explained, turning her attention to Steve and Joe "If we don't figure out what's happening he won't survive much longer."

"You... mean..." Joe's gaze fell on Bakura, biting his lip at the weakness of the spirit of the Ring. Bakura was a strong person; strong of mind and strong of spirit, but now... To see him so weak was wrong. He was struggling to breathe at this point, and Ryoura was in a complete trance, unable to help him. What was with Ryoura anyway? Looking over his eyes widened. "Ryoura where do you think you're going?"

"Huh?" Ryoura stopped in his tracks and turned to face the group much further down the corridor. When next he spoke he voice was just as dull as he had been earlier. "The Millennium Ring is this way..."

"We know that, you told us already. Don't you care about Bakura?"

"I have to find the Ring." With that he turned and darted down the corridor.

"Ryoura!" Steve yelled after him, but it was no use. Ryoura was out of sight before he knew it. "Stupid little... what is he a cheetah?" he brought his hand up his face the through his hair. "Why the heck did he take off so fast?" He turned to face the others. Joe was down on one knee with his back facing Ilia, who helped him get the barely conscious tomb-robber onto his back. "And why did he get so weak all of a sudden?"

"Like I said before," Ilia began, helping Joe to stand up as she did, "a spell was put on the Millennium Ring. As the guardian of the Item Bakura is directly linked to it. The reason Bakura is alive is because The Millennium Ring used it's powers to keep him alive, giving him some of it's magic to live and, in the process, making him the magic user he is today."

"I don't understand, Ryoura can use magic to, but he doesn't need it to live." Joe said, walking up beside Steve but with his attention split between Bakura and Ilia. The group walked at a fast pace down the corridor, deciding they wanted an explanation.

"He has a gift, to put it simply, just as Bakura had when he first took ownership of the Item." She explained. "Very few can use magic and he just happens to be one of them. Of course, his real powers are but a fraction of what he can do with an Item, but to gain access to that power he has to submit a part of his soul to the Item."

"Making him linked to the Ring too..." Steve finished.

"Exactly. Somehow my father has drained all the magical energies related to the Millennium Ring, including Bakura's life force." Ilia looked over at Bakura sadly, limp arms hanging over Steve's shoulders though his posture was relaxed, his body refusing to notice what was being done, bringing him no pain. "The only reason he is still with us because of the slight amount of magic he possess' that is not Millennium magic, but if we don't find my father soon that, too, will be taken."

"And Ryoura?"

"His actions are influenced by instinct alone. Because his soul is a part of it and the power has grown by draining Bakura's energy, he is drain to it against his will."

Joe thought for a minute, trying to understand the situation, then looked at Ilia. "Like he's in a trance?"

She nodded, turning a corner as the others followed. "But why is Kage drawing him there?" Joe questioned, clearly bewildered. Ilia did not answer.

"..Ilia...?" Steve looked over at the girl with confusion, but he was unable to identify her expression. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he remembered what Ilia had said earlier.

_"My father will kill you on sight if you don't get out of here. You two won't stand a chance, he wants you dead, Ryoura."_

"No..."

"We have to hurry!" Ilia announced when a soft glow escaped her Item, taking off down the corridor with the other two quickly behind. "They're all in trouble!"

-----------

"Beg for mercy Yujhi... go ahead. Beg me to kill you. I know you don't want to go any further." Mark grinned, arms crossed, at the boy in front on him. Yujhi was defeated, he couldn't go further. The boy couldn't even gather enough strength to lift his hand and draw a new card, his present two lying on the floor.

Though the Dark Magician Girl had tried to keep him standing, she found herself doing nothing but hurting the boy after a few turns. Koumori Dragon had tried to help also, but Yujhi no longer had enough strength to hold himself up, even with the dragons help. Sitting on the floor now, the Dark Magician Girl sitting behind him and holding his shoulders to try and keep him sitting up at very least, his head was hung low, arms and body limp as his eyes fell shut, lungs burning as he gasped for air.

"Come on Yujhi..." Mark mocked in fake sympathy. "You know you want me to end it..."

"No..." Yujhi whispered, voice hoarse, causing him to erupt in a coughing fit.

"Then draw your next card..."

-----------

Kage grinned and placed the spell book back on the table, removing his hand from Yugi's forehead slowly and grinning down at the spirit. The boys body was motionless, breathing steady and expression painless, though that did not reflect what his soul was feeling at this moment.

Separate from his body, his soul was five millennia in his past, though not a past he should be able to remember. And things had just become much worse with his new spell. _"This should be fun..."_

A smashing sound behind him caught his attention. Grinning, he turned to face his intruder. "Ah, Ryoura, so glad you could make it."

Ryoura stood in the doorway, fists clenched by his side and eyes narrowed at the sight of the Millennium Ring around the man's neck. The man he hated the most in the world. The one man that made him want to run away and hide in fear, just as he did before Kage's trail when he was five; while at the same time making him so full of rage he almost feared he would be labelled a murderer himself. That would never happen. He would never let himself become like _him_.

Kage chuckled in amusement, gripping the Ring in his hand and lifting it up in front of him slightly. "What's wrong Ryoura? Don't you want it back?" He shook the Ring slightly, grinning as Ryoura tensed, clearly holding himself back. "Go ahead, try to get your precise Item from me. Try and _fail_."

_"Don't...."_

Ryoura froze as a weak voice echoed in his mind. _"Bakura...?"_

_"Your... monsters... use... your......"_

_"...Bakura? Bakura!"_

"Having yami problems?" Kage muttered, raising his hand as a ball of black magic appeared, hovering over his palm and pulsing with power. A mixture of red magic, from the Millennium eye, and green magic, from the Ring, swirled like smoke around the inside of the orb, taking forms of sharp-toothed dragons with giant claws, glaraing at Ryoura, before dissolving into smoke again. Ryoura was still concentrating on getting Bakura to respond. Swinging his arm back, he thrust the orb forward, striking a powerful blow to Ryoura's chest.

Tossed across the floor, Ryoura struck his head hard against the wall outside the door, crumbling the floor and he curled up on the floor, trying to but pressure on his head and his chest to suppress some pain. That power. It was too much. He couldn't hold off an enemy like that, not alone anyway.

A hand grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet, slamming him against the wall hard and causing him to cringe in pain. A sound of metal on metal sliced through the air, a cold blade pressed against his neck. Opening his eyes, he looked down at the blade then back at his attacker. Kage grinned sinisterly.

"Do you know what this is?" Kage asked, pulling the blade away from Ryoura's neck just enough to hold it in front of his face. The blade had something black and hard smeared across it; dried blood.

"A spoon?" Ryoura retorted sarcastically. The blade was pressed of against the right side of his face, blade stopping just below his eye, causing him to fall silent.

"This is the very dagger that took your parents lives..." Kage hissed, grinning as Ryoura's eyes widened. He chuckled and pressed the dagger against Ryoura's face, causing him to flinch, and brought it down slowly as he spoke. "And this hardened blood? Your parents also... let's just say I kept it as a souvenir." He sliced the dagger down the rest of the way, receiving a yelp from the teen. A single line of blood ran down his face, like a single tear of blood.

Ryoura was shivering now, eyes shut tight in pain and breathing raspy. _"Mom... dad...."_ Images of their murder came back all to clearly to him; the visions, the sounds, the feelings... the fear. The fear of death, of losing people close to him again, but most of all the fear of the man that took his parents lives...

Kage smirked and raise the dagger in front of him. "Remember what I said, that day after my trail?" When Ryoura remained silent, he lowered his voice to a harsh, cold whisper, "'I'll get you, you little brat... I'll get you like I got your parents'... And I plan to live up to my word now..."

Ryoura shivered fearfully as the dagger was moved to his chest, the point resting over his heart and digging in slightly, only enough to pierce the skin.

"Right... through..." Kage raised the dagger back, holding it tightly in his fist, grinning. "...The heart..."

Kage thrust his arm forward and Ryoura cried out in agony...

-----------

Time skipped once again, and Yugi found himself standing at the top of a grassy hill beside an artificial lake, one situated in the eastern area of the park. He and Yami used to come here all the time when life involving the Millennium Item's was stressful. He and the spirit would sit there for hours, talking through mind-link. Yugi could almost recollect some of the times they had been here. A lot of brotherly bonding was spent up on that very hill.

"Yugi?"

_"Did someone just call me."_ Yugi froze at his thoughts. No. That was impossible. No one could have, he was a ghost, a spirit, nothing more. Looking back his heart skipped a beat. Yami was standing on the hill a short distance away, staring directly at him. "Y-Yami?"

-----------

Yujhi forced his eyes open, but he still found himself unable to lift his head, let alone his arms, to draw his next card. Coughing dryly, he shut his eyes again. "Dark Magician Girl..."

The Magician nodded in understanding, drawing the card for her master and holding it before him, tilting her head curiously as if inspecting the card herself. Yujhi looked at the card, but couldn't find his voice to declare his guess.

He could feel his heartbeat. He didn't know whether it was a delusion of weakness or he could really hear his heart beating in his chest; the rhythmic thumping of his physical life force. He found his left hand over his heart as his breaths became quieter, his heart beating slower... and slower... and slower...

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

-sighs heavily- Ok... that's it.... I know it's badly put together, but believe it or not I've been workin' on this all day!  
Waa! Poor Ryoura! -glomp- And Yujhi -glomp- and Pepper -glomp- I'm evil... -holds gun to head-  
**Ryoura:** Wait! -grabs gun- We need you to decide if we live or not, no dying til the end of the story!  
... Ok, guess you got a point...  
Was it good? Bad? Rotten-tomato-deserving? please leave a review guys, slán slán for now!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	12. Death's First Victim

Interestin' chappy name, no? **XD**  
Ahh! It's been well over a month since I updated this story! Bad me! -slaps self- Well, I have a reason, my computer broke. It's been out of commission for the last three weeks, and though I had half this chappy done.... the computers memory was wiped! It don't remember this chappy, nor the very very **LAST** chappy I had already writen! I loved that chappy, twas the best I'd ever done, and now it's gone! Well... I guess I'll just have to work extra hard now...  
Sorry again guys, I feel really bad for this... hope ya enjoy this chappy, though it's crap, and thanks for the reviews and support!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! **AND** Song lyrics (c) Delta Goodrem 

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

**THIS IS NOT YAOI! The song's is for a guy/girl thing,  
but I've only taken the part I think suits!**  
-ahem- well, now that that's cleared up, on with the story!

** Chapter Eleven - Deaths First Victim **

Kage was caught by surprise when Ryoura managed to jump and strike a powerful blow to his chest, grip leaving his dagger as he stumbled back, clutching his stomach tightly. He had heard Ryoura yell, but didn't know why. His eyes, though only open by force, glared at the teen before him, who was slouched over and gasping for breath himself. Why was that? "You'll pay for that..." he growled, straightening himself up.

Ryoura raised his eyes, the usually energetic inferno replaced by a weakly flickering flame. Coughing, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He had to take Bakura's advice and use his monsters, it was his only option left. Holding up the card he focused all the energy he had towards summoning the monster, widening his stance as standing became even harder. "Uraby!"

-----------

"Y-Yami?" Yugi stammered, eyes locked with those of his darker half. No, he couldn't see him, that was impossible. No way. It wasn't possible... was it?

"Yugi is... is it really you?" Yami took a further step up the hill, standing now only a few feet away from Yugi. Yugi's insides did an odd sort of flip, from either fear, sadness or happiness, he did not know. Yami's appearance was much better then the last few flashbacks he had seen, he had more colour in his completion and his clothes were clean too.

Through the old yet unmistakable mental connection, Yugi felt a soft wave of curiosity and hope brushing across his soul, trying to confirm Yami's curiosity. He desperately wanted to block Yami out, to disappear before he broke Yami's spirit again, but his dark was so desperate, so hopeful; how could he try to destroy that? So, he merely closed his eyes and allowed Yami recognise his soul.

The spiritual searched stopped, and Yugi opened his eyes. Through the link Yugi could feel Yami's shock, but more noticeably the happiness bubbling up inside him, a feeling that felt foreign to his shattered heart. A smile, a genuine, happy smile, spread across Yami's face and, walking forward, he pulled Yugi into a loving, brotherly embrace, tears streaming down his face.

Yugi was shocked, and slightly confused, as to how he had a solid form. He didn't know how long it would last, but he knew not long. _"There's no way I'll be able to stay,"_ his eyes stung with hot tears, _"I'm going to hurt him again... all over again..."_ Shutting his eyes tight he returned the warm gesture, burying his face in Yami's shirt and allowing the tears to escape him.

-----------

A black aura erupted from Ryoura's card, morphing quickly into the form of a black dinosaur with piercing red eyes. It was not the most powerful of monsters, but it was the only monster he had right now. Bakura carried their deck, save for Uraby, Ryoura's favourite monster, and right now he had no clue where his darker half was. The dinosaur growled menacingly at Kage and took a step forward, head lowered and posture tense. It was ready to pounce.

Unfortunately, as it did, Kage brought up a barrier, causing the monster to crash into it. Stumbling back and shaking it's head, Uraby growled and charged again, then again and again.

"Ryoura!"

"Huh?" Ryoura looked to the side, stopping Ilia, Joe, Steve and the still unconscious tomb-robber heading towards him. He tried to force a smile, but couldn't find the energy. The remained a safe distance from him, as his monster continued to run back to his side, turn, and charge again at the barrier.

"What the heck's goin' on?" Joe asked, setting Bakura down as he did.

"Ryoura can't do this alone," Ilia stated, shutting her eyes and summoning a monster, Sacred Crane, forward. She had not needed a card, she had summoned the monster directly from the Shadow Realm. Joining forces with the dinosaur, Ilia's monster charged at the barrier too.

"Ilia..." Kage growled, clenching his fist as he made a little more effort to keep the barrier up. "I knew you would betray me, you're just like your mother, to soft-hearted and weak of will power. Well, you will meet the same fate as her soon, _daughter_. You should have learned to pay more respect for your father."

Narrowing her eyes, Ilia pointed towards her father. "You're no father of mine. Just because I'm your blood doesn't make me your puppet, unlike Mark." Another surge of magic brought forth Silpheed appeared, a purple-skinned, fairy-type monster clad in white garments and holding a staff with a wing-like head. With all three monsters attacks, Kage's barrier slowly began evaporating.

"All right!" Joe cheered, punching the air. "Go monsters! They're gonna cream 'im!"

"I'm not so sure..." Steve whispered, narrowing his eyes. Uraby was getting slower, a sign that his energy was low. It's steps has suddenly become sluggish, the fierce looking dinosaur dragging his clawed feet along the floor. _"What's going on?"_

Uraby's breaths became heavily, posture tense, but exhausted. It's red eyes dulled and he stood in place, growling weakly in frustration at the effort to remain standing. Suddenly, it's legs gave way, it's body exploding into a black smoke before it struck the floor. In unison, Ryoura collapsed to his knees and forward, lying flat on the floor, motionless.

"Ryoura!"

Steve's cry had alerted Ilia, Joe and even Kage to the boys presence. Steve and Joe were kneeling by his side in a second, Ilia focussing on defeating her fathers barrier.

"Hey, hey Ryoura, wake up man," Joe whispered lifting Ryoura's limp form up and turning him over so he lay across Joe's lap. The usually pale teen was, surprising, even more pale, skin almost grey. His breaths were, if possible, even slower then Bakura's, and he was cold. Ice cold. "R-Ryoura?"

"He's been stabbed..." Steve whispered, face turning slight pale as he stomach turned with worry and fear.

Kage's dagger had missed Ryoura's heart, but only by a short distance, choosing, instead, to drive deep into the right side of his chest. Ryoura had pulled the dagger out and discarded it, but the damage was already done. He lung was punctured, and even if he had the Millennium Ring to heal himself with, his chances were still slim. He hadn't a chance without it.

"Oh no..."

"Ilia! Help!" Steve called, and was surprised to have her by his side so quickly. Glancing back he realised that Kage was busy trying to fend off up to four monsters, so it was safe to say he was preoccupied. "Ilia, you've gotta help him."

Ilia had already placed her hand on Ryoura's injury, a soft glow covering it, then growing stronger. She winced slightly and, with one eye shut in pain, looked up. "Steve, I can't keep this up for too long... My magic is split between four monsters and this, so unless I get more power... I can only keep him alive for a few minutes."

Steve frowned and looked down at Ryoura. "Come on Ryoura..."

-----------

"Where am I?" Bakura looked around in confusion, total darkness surrounding him; the Shadow Realm. "What? How did I get here? What's going on?" His voice merely echoed across the endless land, if you could call the Shadow Realm a land. Annoyed, he walked forward at a fast pace. Maybe he couldn't find some clues as to how or why he was here.

He froze as the sound of footsteps met his ears.

The footsteps he heard were louder then usual footsteps, though. Turning his gaze in the direction on the sound, he was half expecting to see a small dragon emerge from the shadows, readying and baring it's sharp teeth to make a meal out of him. What he saw took him by surprise.

A normal person emerge. A man who, by sight, looked only about five foot, nearly six. But the man, in fact, was over twice Bakura's height! Clad in Egyptian armour and bearing an axe in his right hand, Bakura's mouth literally dropped open at the symbol on the mans breast-plate; the Millennium symbol. The symbol of Akunumkanon's army, Yami's father. Taking a step back as the man began to approach he suddenly found himself mixed with both anger and fear.

Yes, it was fear. This man, this very man, had been the soldier who had brutally slaughtered his parents, hacking mercilessly at the bodies long after they had passed to the next world. In fact, he held a strong resemblance to Kage, now that he thought of it. No wonder he didn't trust the man when they had met.

Grinning, the soldier swung his axe back then forward towards Bakura. Quick reflexes and adrenaline fuelled by pure fear saved him from any injuries, but he couldn't help feel, given the soldiers height and the situation, like a kid again, back when his village was being destroyed.

As if on cue, fire erupted around both Bakura and the soldier, mud and rock walls were around them, some destroyed, others quickly crumbling. Blood-curdling screams filled the air, as did the cries of young children, but the swipe of a sword or axe silenced them for eternity. Looking down Bakura found he, himself had changed. He was now much younger, with darker skin, greyer hair and tattered rags.

The setting was identical. The death, the fire and, worst of all, the almost butchered forms of his parents in the street outside the house. Past emotions overflowing, he tried in vain not to cry. A few more swings from the axe, a few more dodges. He remembered this. Next a part of the roof would collapse, blocking the soldier off from him momentarily, and he would sneak back down the trap door his parents had shown him and remain there until the fighting stopped.

Sure enough, he heard the creak of one of the few planks of wood above him, then a snap. What he didn't expect was the wood had fallen on the trap door behind him, not in the right place. _"What? That wasn't supposed to happen."_ Bakura suddenly found himself panicking. What was going to happen now? What was going on? Was he going to die?

The soldier grinned and advanced on the young boy, chuckling as he backed into a corner. "No where to run..." He swung the axe high above his head and Bakura dropped to the floor, shutting his eyes tight, awaiting the blow.

"Bakura!"

A hand reached out from nowhere, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him to the side. Colour blurred before him until it paused at the Shadow Realms usual red, purple and black. "Wh-what?" Bakura looked around him, his body now back to the right age but still shivering with fear and shock. "Who...?" Bakura turned and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Marik?"

Sure enough, Marik was standing behind him, smiling warmly at Bakura. "Hey tomb-robber."

"What are you doing here?" Bakura asked, dragging himself shakily to his feet.

"Trying to get you to wake up."

"What doe that mean?"

"Do you know where you are?" Marik questioned, arms folded.

"What do you take me for?" Bakura asked, annoyed. Marik, though, help his expression. Rolling his eyes, Bakura replied, "The Shadow Realm."

"Wrongo, your dreaming."

"What?" Bakura looked doubtfully at Marik, then at his surrounding. "That's impossible, dreams don't make you feel like this..."

"They do if Kage says they do. It's another one of his spells." Marik explained. "It's like... he's brought the Shadow Realm into your mind, I think."

"Well then... how do I get out?" It was clear Bakura was still doubtful.

"Well... that's the hard part." Marik scratched his head and looked off the other way. "It's a barrier, you have to break through it. Unfortunately, Kage has drained all, or most, of your magically energy."

Bakura was starting to get confused, "So... how am I supposed to get out?"

"Your not, that's the point." Marik pointed out. "Supposed to sleep til ya die, but we can't let you do that, you have to get out of here, and fast."

There was something about Marik's tone when he said that. It got Bakura not only curious, but worried. "Why? What's the hurry?"

Marik frowned and shook his head. "I'm going to channel what magic I can to you and then you should have enough to-"

"Tomb-keeper..." Bakura growled, narrowing his eyes threateningly.

Marik froze, then sighed, looking down. "It's your hikari... he's... he's not doing to good against Kage... he needs your help."

"What? How bad is he, is he alright?" Marik seemed surprised by Bakura's concern, but looked away. Bakura knew by that simple gesture. Narrowing his eyes he walked over beside him. "Come on then. Make with the magic."

-----------

"Oh my God, Yugi... I thought I'd lost you..." Yami's voice was muffled by Yugi's hair, but Yugi could tell he was still smiling. Taking in a shaky breath Yami spoke again. "I mean, I've just been to... well, to say goodbye, but..." he pulled back a little, looking Yugi in the eyes. Brushing away one of the tears he smiled warmly, "But here you are. I... I just can't believe it." He hugged Yugi again, a soft laugh of pure glee escaping him. "I'm so glad your back..."

Yugi swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat. Yami's words were touching, but with each syllable Yugi felt a hot needle of guilt stab through his heart. Yami was so happy... and he was the one who would have to take that away. Again.

"Y-Yami?" Yugi stuttered, his voice sounding truly heartbroken when compared to Yami's bubbly one.

Yami was so blinded by happiness, he had not realised Yugi's tone, and merely responded with a curious "Hm?"

"I..." Swallowing hard, Yugi lost his voice. Trying to speak only resulted in him forcefully suppressing sobs. Instead, he turned to their mind link. Once he spoke, his emotions were completely open to his other half. _"Yami... I can't stay."_ Yugi shut his eyes tight as Yami's embrace tightened suddenly on him, his body tensing and becoming motionless.

_"Wh-what?"_ Yami's voice was shivering with shock, even through the mind like. A wave of disbelief struck Yugi like a ton of bricks, releasing the tears he had tried so hard to keep in. Yugi could feel Yami shaking his head in disbelief, then gripping tightly around Yugi's shoulders. "No! You, you can't!"

"Y-ami..." Yugi sobbed. "Please, don't make this harder, Yami." As Yugi begged, he released his arms from around the taller boy, bringing them in front of his face and leaning his fists and forearms against Yami's chest as he, reluctantly, tried to push the former-pharaoh away.

But Yami merely moved his arms and wrapped them around Yugi tighter, as if afraid he would disappear. "No." He sobbed stubbornly, swallowing hard. When Yugi said his name he shook his head again. "No, I won't lose you again."

"Yami..."

Yami's voice became desperate. "Yugi, please, don't you understand? Yugi, you're my other half, my friend. No, no you're more then that, you're my brother... You're my brother and I love you Yugi, I don't want to lose you again." He buried his face in Yugi's shoulder and sobbed. "Please... d-don't leave me... don't leave me again..."

_"I love you too, Yami. But I don't have a choice-"_ All of a sudden their connection was severed and Yami stumbled foreword through him. Shocked, Yugi turned around to see a bewildered Yami standing alone, looking around franticly, more tears brimming in his eyes.

"Yugi?" Yami called, looking around.

Confused, Yugi ran in front of him. "Yami I'm here." But Yami looked over him, eyes seeing through him as Yami turned his back to Yugi while still looking around. "Yami..."

"Yu-gi..." Yami sobbed, collapsing to his knees, then sitting down and covering his eyes. "Yugi, where... Wh-where'd you go...?"

"Yami I didn't leave," Yugi sobbed, kneeling down in front of Yami and trying to look his other in the eyes. "I'm still here. I'm here."

Yami showed no sign he knew Yugi was there. "Why d-did you leave like that...? Do... Do you hate me?"

"No!" Yugi shook his head, tears staining his face. "Yami no, don't think like that."

Yami sat there, crying, for so long... a minute felt so much longer to Yugi, and if seemed like an eternity before Yami's tears, as well as Yugi's, began to slow. Yugi had been sitting by his side, unmoving, the entire time. It was the only thing close to comfort he could offer Yami at this time, but the torture on not being able to offer physical comfort was the worst feeling of all.

Through sunset, and many cold hours after, Yami was still sitting by the hill. Yugi had become accustomed to the silence, save for the distant sounds of the city and the chirping crickets, but it was suddenly interrupted by something else. Yugi looked at Yami with slight surprise, hearing the former-pharaoh murmur a soft melody under his breath, tears brimming in his eyes. It was a few minutes before Yami sung loud enough for Yugi to understand his tears.

_"All I know is I'm lost without you, I'm not gonna lie...  
How'm I going to be strong without you? I need you by my side...  
If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye... I don't know what I'd do...  
I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to find my way, but all I know is  
I'm lost without you,  
I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you..."_

If I could only hold you now, and make the pain just go away,  
Can't stop the tears from running down my face..."__

Yami covered his mouth and stared forward, eyes shining, before lowering his head and allowing the tears to escape. "Yugi..."

The heartbroken hikari sat by his side, silent, as tears of sorrow flowed unchecked. "I'm sorry..."

-----------

Yujhi gasped, his breathing like that of a dying soldier. Clutching his chest hard in fear as he felt, as well as heard, his heart stop. Then beat. Then stop again. Then beat again. His heartbeats were so slow he thought with every passing second he had died. He had become so weak now he had allowed himself to drop to his side, lying motionless on the floor, mentally thanking every god, known and unknown, for each and every breath he took and for every beat of his heart.

Mark smirked and walked towards the boys lifeless form, protected from his monsters by the Millennium Rod. Standing beside him, Mark leaned down and grabbed some of Yujhi's hair, twisting his head awkwardly so he was facing him. "Beg for mercy and I may end it quickly for you." Mark said, chuckling.

Yujhi gasped slightly when Mark grabbed him, but forced his azure eyes open to meet Mark's. He would have given almost anything for the strength the smash Mark's face in that very minute, but it was a challenge to even keep his eyes open at this point. Narrowing his eyes, Yujhi turned his head away from Mark, ignoring him.

"Hm... Have it your way." Mark shrugged, standing up. Swinging his leg forward he struck the unsuspecting boy in the stomach. Had he the strength, Yujhi would have curled himself into a ball to try and offer some defence against the continued assault. He could do nothing but let Mark see him die slowly and painfully, his breaths heavy, slow... just like his heartbeat.

As his soul was destroyed, so was his life force. His heart beat slower... and slower...

He drew in a heavy breath. Another slow beat. He sighed out. Another beat.

...

...

He didn't breath in again.

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

And so ends ANOTHER dark chappy... Longest yet again, 21kb God... poor everyone... but Yujhi most (obviously...)  
Welp, I hope peep'll review and hope yaz enjoy the not-so-super chappy. Slán slán for now peeps, please review!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	13. The Tables Are Turned

Hey guys! Long time no update, huh? I know, I'm horrible, but it's been hectic lately! Sorry for keepin' ya waitin' for soooooo long, but please don't get to mad. I hate meself for it enough as it is... Well theres no point in waitin' longer, enjoy the fic!

**

NOTE: This chappy is an ikkle mad and confusin' -sweatdrops- sorry peeps!

**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Thirteen - The Tables Are Turned **

Yugi drifted after his darker half silently, eyes red and sore from crying. Blinking hard, he looked up from the floor to his Yami, who had finally decided to make his way home (it was three in the morning now). As he opened the door to the game shop, he was confronted by a clearly frustrated but concerned Joey.

"Yami where the heck have you been?" the blond had obviously been driving himself crazy with worry, and his jerky actions confirmed he _may have_ had a little to much coffee while waiting for the spirit of the Puzzle to come home. "I've been worried sick about ya!"

"I went to say goodbye..." Yami replied glumly, eyes on the floor and voice quiet.

"Oh..." Joey's expression softened instantly, frowning. He placed a hand on Yami's shoulder and lowered himself a little to try and meet the Pharaoh's gaze. "Are you ok?"

Yami looked up and met Joey's concerned gaze. Forcing a smile, he shook his head. "Ya, I think I'll just go to bed..."

"You sure?"

Yami nodded. Joey looked doubtful, but didn't force the matter on him. Making his way towards the guest bedroom, where he had been staying for the past few weeks save for when he was making the Millennium Puzzle, he paused. Thinking for a moment, he turned on his heel and walked towards Yugi's room. Following curiously, Yugi drifted through the door Yami shut behind him. "Yami?" he called, though he was fully aware the spirit couldn't hear him.

The teen made his way over to the desk of his lighter half, looking down at the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle scattered all over the workspace. Sighing, he picked up a piece and studied it; the centre piece of the Puzzle, the piece which Joey had thrown away when he and Tristan had been bullying Yugi. For a minute Yugi thought Yami was going to try and piece the Puzzle together again, but he didn't. Instead, he clenched the piece in his hand and sighed heavily, before dropping it into the golden box. Yugi blinked. He thought he'd seen a glow.

He almost flinched as he continued. Each time he dropped a piece into the box, it sounded much louder then it really was. He felt terrible. It felt like he was giving up. He was truly saying goodbye to Yugi now. "I suppose that's why you appeared..." Yami spoke up, catching Yugi's attention. "You wanted to say goodbye, right?"

He picked up the lid of the Puzzle box as the last piece was dropped in, the Pharaoh unable to solve even the smallest amount of it. "I know you told me not to dwell on it..." Shutting his eyes and pushing the lid on, he spoke in an uneven, shaky voice. "But.... I'll never be able to let you go, Yugi... Never..."

"Yami..." Yugi whispered, looking down. Suddenly, an icy cold feeling erupted inside him, mainly in his chest. Gasping at the constricting feeling in his chest, his body tensed with shock and instant loss of energy, he blinked towards Yami. The former-pharaoh wasn't hurt or affected in any way. In fact, he had made his way to Yugi's bed and was now shuffling idly through Yugi's deck. What was going on?

Then it hit him. "Yujhi!"

-----------

Mark froze as Yujhi's form fell motionless, releasing one final, raspy breathy before, silence. Yujhi's monsters; the Dark Magician Girl, Koumori Dragon, Flame Swordsman and Harpies Brother stood to the side looking shocked and confused. The Dark Magician Girl, who had been kneeling by his side, wrapped her arms around his small form and shook him lightly, trying to wake him. There was no response.

Smirking, Mark pocketed his cards and twirled the rod expertly, stepping forward. "Well, looks like I win the shadow game." a fuchsia-coloured blast of magic stopped him in his tracks. "What the-?" Looking up, he noticed the Dark Magician Girl was standing before her fallen master, staff pointed towards the Ishtar and tears brimming in her eyes. "Back off Magician, the game's over, I've won the Millennium Puzzle."

The Dark Magician Girl shook her head and kept her staff ready. "The games still on."

"What are you talking about?" Mark growled, folding his arms but keeping a tight hold on the Millennium Rod. All the Magician did was continue to glare. Then something occurred to him. Why were the monsters still there? The monsters of the Shadow Realm needed to rely on a certain amount of the players' soul to remain in the game, no matter how powerful they were individually. But though it was clear Yujhi's soul was gone, the monster were still there. "How is this possible...?" He whispered, looking from the Dark Magician Girl to Yujhi's lifeless form. It didn't make any sense!

"He may be gone..." Dark Magician Girl stated sadly, glancing back at Yujhi, "but as long as we're here, you can't win the powers of the Millennium Puzzle."

Mark growled in annoyance, but quickly smirked. "Fine, have it your way. Yujhi's gone; it's only a matter of time before you are too. And when that happens, the Puzzle is mine." Taking a safe few steps away from the monsters, he folded his arms. _"But why are they still here?"_ His eyes wandered over the group of monsters, each one of them had their eyes locked on him. Then he noticed it. A small glow emitting from the Millennium Puzzle.

That must have been what the was keeping the monsters on the field, though he still had no clue how. Shrugging it off, he sat himself comfortably on the floor while his monsters crowded around him. "Whatever's keeping you here is weak, I can sense it, so it's only a matter of time now..."

The Dark Magician Girl narrowed her eyes. _"This guy is soooo.... irritating!"_ She could have thought of many other things to call him, but restrained herself. Lowering her staff she walk back to Yujhi's side, kneeling down and laying the boy across her lap. Stroking his pitch-black bangs out of his face she frowned. Hugging him lightly she shut her eyes. _"Please, return soon Pharaoh's Light, we need you."_

-----------

Kage chuckled in amusement at the number of monsters struggling to break their way through his barrier. Four monsters and not one could get through; he couldn't help but feel smug. Casting his gaze sideways his grin widened. Ilia and her little group were chattering constantly to the barely conscious boy before them. "It's no use." he stated, catching their attention. "You can't save him, and neither can any of your little spirit friends." Kage cast a glance at Bakura's motionless form then to Yugi. Turning back to the group he grinned sinisterly. "He'll join his pathetic mother and father soon enough."

Ilia narrowed her eyes in a glare at her father before turning her attention back to Ryoura. "Forget him, he'll be ok."

"Don't get your hopes up, daughter." Kage said with fake concern, folding his arms. "Even if he did somehow, miraculously, survive, it's only a matter of time before Mark gets a hold of the Millennium Puzzle, and with the power of two Item's already in my possession, it would take no more then a day to track him down and finish the job."

"Face it, without the Item spirits, you and your friend, Yujhi, don't stand a chance against my powers."

-----------

"Ok, when I say, you'll have to use whatever power you can to break the magic seal."

"No problem-"

"_Without_ using too much," Marik informed the reckless tomb-robber. A thick cord of blue, glowing energy was linking between both Bakura and him, transferring what little magical energy he could. "If you use to much the strain could cause some difficulties."

Bakura grumbled. This was going to be more difficult then he thought. He would have to use the perfect amount of magic to break out. If not, he'd have to face the consciences. "What sort of difficulties?"

Marik glanced at him then shrugged. "Death."

"Oh, is that all?" Bakura grumbled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He'd been more or less silent for the past few minutes, speaking only when necessary. Images of his parents and that guard that attacked him still raced through his mind. It had been so long since he had even thought of his past, but it was just as chilling as ever.

Though he would never admit it, back in Egypt, he had awoken many nights because of those memories. Even years later, when he was considered one of the most wanted men in Egypt, he was still haunted some nights with images of his parents. These nightmares fuelled his rage, and his lust for revenge grew stronger. He had grown cold, distanced and hate filled from everyone around him.

Then there was Ryoura. He just couldn't understand the contrast between them. While he became a loner, Ryoura tried his best to move on by forcing himself into the centre of attention. He looked to the positive side of the world, even though he had no family (save his abusive aunt who abandoned him to an orphanage) and grew up in an orphanage. Sighing, Bakura shook his head. Why did he have to turn out so messed up? Ryoura may not have gone through as much as him, but at least he'd moved on insteed of looking for revenge.

"Ok, get ready." Marik turned to Bakura. "Think you can do this?"

Bakura said nothing, but readied himself. He had to get back or (literally) die trying. "Ready," he said with a nod. He shut his eyes and began focussing his powers. It felt so different to what he was used to. Unlike the sharp, completely focussed Millennium magic he had received from Marik, his own magic was much more comforting. Warm and comforting, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

It was the only magic he had ever used or felt that had not come at the cost of someone's life. It was a part of him, unlike that of the Millennium Items, and it was much stronger then he ever remembered. How could he have neglected it for so many millennia?

"Ready?" Marik said again, trying to get Bakura to focus on the task at hand. Apparently he had been lost in his own thoughts, as he jerked his head to the side then muttered a few 'ok's and 'right's. Narrowing his eyes, Marik focused on the spell surrounding them. Every now and again, the spell would falter slightly thanks to the fight against Ilia, but only for a few seconds. That was when Bakura had the best chance of getting through. "Ok..." there was a slight twitch in the surroundings. "Now!"

-----------

Ilia winced as the third of her monsters was destroyed, only leaving Telia Sphinx left. If she had been able to leave Ryoura she may have had enough power to summon another monster and get herself and the others out of there before Kage could kill them, but she knew they would not leave without their friends. Frowning, she groaned in annoyance at her weak state.

Ryoura didn't stand a chance no matter how she added up the numbers. His only chance of survival would be the Millennium Ring, and even if she did manage to get a hold of the Item there was no guarantee she could use enough of the items power. Unlike her father she had never had more then one item, and was not experienced enough to use any Item, other then her Necklace, to it's full potential.

Only Bakura could save him know, and he was barely alive as it was.

She had told this to the other two gradually as the minutes had rolled by like hours. Though she was paying no attention to them right now, she had a very bad feeling about what was going on in their minds. What were they planning? _"Magic's running out..."_ she thought fearfully, biting her lip.

"Ilia?"

"Joe, I don't have enough power to..." Ilia froze mid-sentence when she met the blond teens eyes, glancing around him. "Where's Steve?"

"Shush!" Joe whispered harshly. "Just act like nothing's happening."

"What?"

"Pretend you don't know Kage's comin'-"

"What?" Ilia whispered back in shock. Sure enough, when she checked, her final monster was gone. She didn't look back, but now she could hear the steps of her father getting closer. She shivered, then whispered worriedly. "Why are we just sitting here?"

"Trust me." Joe whispered, eyes locked on Ryoura to pretend he did not see Kage walking towards them. _"I just hope he keeps out of my mind. Be careful Steve.."_

Kage smirked as he approached the group of teens. An unexpected attack without chance to defend himself; he loved it. Drawing his hand from his side he held it out in front of him, focussing his magic to escape in one quick burst. But before he could attack, a pair of arms latched around his shoulders. The Kaiba, how could he forget? Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Steve had a dagger in his had, so he quickly gathered a surge of magic and struck the boy away with one blast.

Joe leapt to his feet as his friend was hit away and, before Kage could turn to face Steve, darted over and punched him across the face. "Youch!" Joe yelp, leaping back. His fist had connected with the Millennium Eye, leaving his to wonder if his bones were in one piece. "That didn't tickle..."

Kage growled angrily and straightened himself, facing Joe. "You kids just don't know when to quit, do you?" he hissed, a strong red glow surrounding his body. "You die first..." His arm darted out, as did his magic, towards Joe. The red force quickly took the shape of Kage's arm, though much larger, and grasped firmly around Joe's form. Lifting the boy's body off the floor, his cold-hearted glare unwavering as he watched the teen struggle helplessly. "Say goodbye..."

He clenched his fist and so did his magic arm, crushing every bone in his body. Joe's bloodcurdling screams of agony sliced through the deathly silent air.

-----------

"Yujhi!" Yugi called out, darting out to the street from his old room through the wall. Looking around helplessly, he shot directly upwards towards the sky. He couldn't pinpoint a direction to which his hikari was. It was completely lost. He didn't stop moving upwards until he was flying so high above Domino City he was surrounded by clouds.

"Yujhi!" he cried out painfully, terror gripping his soul. He had no idea why he was calling his light; he didn't see how it could help, but it was all he could do. "Yujhi were are you?" He yelled again, eye's shining with tears. Save for the strong gusts of wind around him, he was met with silence. Blinking hard, he looked towards the stars. For some reason, looking towards them made him feel even more worried then before. _"I've got to get out of hear..."_ Narrowing his eyes at the sky, he took a deep breath and sighed, closing his eyes.

He knew this entire thing was a spell, designed to transport him from dimension to dimension to visit painful times. So defeat them, he would have to find a way to pin-point the source of the magic and destroy the spell. But how?

What had happened before he had left the world behind, before he had come here?

Thinking hard, he remembered how Mark had told him he would show him his past, but then the spell started. He grumbled. What help was that?!

Trying to calm himself, he thought more about the spell. Mark had tied the Millennium Necklace around the Rod and pressed it against his forehead then... both Item glowed; so did the Millennium Puzzle...

His eyes grew wide and shot down towards the duplicate Puzzle around his neck. That was it! All this time the key to leaving this dreadful place was hanging around his neck! Grabbing the Puzzle in both hands, he held it before him, looking at it instantly. With a short examination, he was quickly able to find the unfamiliar magic in the Puzzle. All he had to do know was over-power it, and he would get out!

Easier said then done. The spell was performed with a combination of two different types of magic; making it much stronger and harder to destroy. He didn't care, he had to get out and save Yujhi.

Closing his eyes, he transferred his mind into the Millennium Puzzle, into his soul room. Without a second thought, he darted to the left of the maze, up a flight of stairs across the 'ceiling' and up a wall or two until he found what he was looking for. A large, blood-red door stood before him, a large slit, red eye leering at him from the centre of it, but Yugi remained unfazed.

He reached out for the handle, but recalled when he found it was red hot. Shaking his hand he noticed the eye narrow in amusement. Glaring back at it, he reached forward again, paused for a second, then grabbed the tore and tore it open as quickly as he could. As soon as he stepped inside the room, fire erupted from the walls while ice crept across the floor towards him. The combination of magic had taken different forms, but they did not effect each other.

Wincing in pain, Yugi shut his eyes and stretched his hands out in front of him. He could feel the flames brushing of his arms and the ice growing over his feet, but focussed, instead, on summoning all the magic he could find within himself. Unfortunately, this was very time-consuming. When he was almost done he was afraid to open his eyes in case he found all his skin had been burned away. Clenching his fists, which cause him great pain for even the slightest movement, he cried out, released the strongest summon of magic he had ever made.

The ice, which had nore reached his waste, shattered away with the force of his summon, while the fire recoiled as if fearful. Crying out in pain as energy pulled itself away from him, he collapsed to his knees painfully. Through blurred vision, he smiled slightly as the form of a dragon appeared before him in a red glow, created out of his magic alone. It was blurred, but he could make it out; Slifer the Sky Dragon.

The fire and ice combined and swirled around him as the form of Slifer released a blast, turning to seemingly destroy the room. The two elements shot up before him, but just as it looked like it was going to attack, it disintegrated, along with the form of Slifer.

Yugi looked around the pitch black room, struggling to his feet and stubbing backwards towards the door. Gasping for breath, he stepped through the doorframe and turned to face the darkness, holding onto the door for support. Then he swung the door back and slammed it shut. It erupted in a powerful glow and shattered before his eyes, crumbling to the ground as dust. A force suddenly grabbed a hold of Yugi and dragged his spirit away from his soul room. The spell was lifted; he was going back.

-----------

Taking a full grasp of the magic, both Millennium magic and his own, coursing through him, Bakura released his assault on the barrier surrounding him. Gritting his teeth in effort, he shut his eyes tight. He could feel the magic sticking the barrier, as if it was a physical part of himself. It wasn't working! A sudden surge of electrical magic surged from the barrier and struck him square in the chest, knocking him off balance and out of focus. Marik was by his side helping him to sit up before he knew what hit him. "What happened...?"

"I'm sorry... It didn't work..." Marik frowned as the tomb-robber struggled to understand, his mind still dizzy from the blast. On the positive side, Bakura still had enough magic to survive for a while. Maybe he could find a way to the Shadow Realm. Even if it meant years of solitude, at least he had a chance of surviving that way. When Bakura looked slightly focussed, he relayed this information to him.

"I'm not going to the shadow realm, I'm getting out of here!" Bakura yelled, pulling himself to his feet angrily, stumbling slightly.

Marik held Bakura's shoulders and narrowed his eyes. "Bakura, starting thinking straight! You've used most if not all of the magic I've given you, your physical form barely exists anymore and you're not going to last here much longer."

"What about Ryoura?" Bakura yelled angrily, pushing the tomb-keeper away from him.

"You can't save him! You can barely keep yourself alive without the Millennium Ring and that's far beyond your reach at the moment!" Marik yelled back. "You might as well save yourself instead of letting both of you die!"

"No!" Bakura yelled again, striking Marik's arm away as the former tomb-keeper tried to hold the hysterical thief still. Magic was forced from his soul to the palms of his hands, glowing a bright, fiery green and yellow. Marik latched his arms around Bakura, pinning his arms to his side, and ignored the spirits struggle to free himself. "Let me go!" "You can't save him Bakura! Face it! Without the Ring, you haven't got enough power to help him, it's over!"

Suddenly, a bright green light erupted around them. Shielding his eyes from the light Bakura yelled. "Tomb-keeper what's going on?" Only after he yelled did he notice the feeling of power growing inside him. Curious, he held his hand in front of him and tried to summon a ball of magic. It's powerful glow matched that of the area around them. "What on Earth...?" He didn't ponder on it any further. Summoning all the power within him, which was unusually high at the moment, he struck out at the dome-shaped wall surrounding his mind and confining him to this nightmare.

It shattered like fragile glass.

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

Ok, again, crappy chappy, but the next may just be the last, then the epilogue, ok? Sorry for the super-long wait again, I hate me for it...  
**Ryoura:** This is so booooooring..... For the last three chappys I've just sat there waitin' to die!  
Don't worry, you'll be in the next one.  
**Ryoura:** Yay!  
Welp, as always, please review and slán slán for now peeps!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	14. The Roll Of Honor Yujhi Motou

**WARNING PEOPLE:** You don't like sequels might as well run, there's one more story left in this whole thing, and it's gonna be weird, sad, scary... well at least that's the plan! **XD** Just thought I'd warn ya in advance.

Pretty long wait huh? Yup, I'm annoying.... Well, I ain't gonna yack on like I usually do, read away!

**Response To Reviews:** **Una1**: Hey Una! Thanks for the Christmas greeting through e-mail, Merry Christmas to you too! Heehee, ya liked it that much huh? Glad to hear! Sorry the update took so long, but better late then never, right? Thanks for the review!

**Sorceress Vanessa**: Don't worry SV, then wont all die. I did that once and was never happy with myself for it -sweatdrop- Besides, ya think I'd kill off Ryoura already? You're nuts! -glomps Ryoura-  
Haven't heard from yaz in ages, writers block or just-don't-feel-like-writin'? That's what I've been for the past... MONTH?! I better try gettin' meself into gear... Glad yaz liked the chappy SV! Hope this one entertains, though I'm sure it's not that good... Enjoy all the same!

**YumeTakato**: Sorry for the long wait... Hope it's half as good as ya hope.

**bookdragon**: Updatin' is kinda one of me weak points lately, huh? -sweatdrop- Heehee, sounds like yaz liked it **XD** Hope yaz enjoy this chappy too!

**Yami Silverdramon**: Evil is my middle name... MWHAHAHAHA! ... Actually my middle name is Helen, but Evil sounds more... me **XD** Enjoy the chappy, ENJOY IT I SAY!

**Chicary**: Really? You liked that part? I thought it was a cool idea, but I didn't write it well -sweatdrop- Glad yaz liked it though! Thanks for the review and enjoy!

**Wings Of A Phoenix**: Believe me you'll be praying for the end soon... -points to the 'Warning'- heehee... um... enjoy?

**padfootgrl126**: Glad ya think that way, but I'll never like me stuff. The one thing I did like was the last chappy I had written for this, and that got DELETED! ... Actually, after that got deleted I stopped writing so often... meh, enjoy the chappy!

**Ashla**: Greetings sister! Greeting YamaSue! Is DeathRinger nearby? Yes? Then I shall run. Enjoy the chap- AH! -runs away from DeathRinger- EVIL!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Chapter Fourteen - The Roll Of Honor; Yujhi Motou **

Joe coughed heavily, tears of pain streaming down his face as he struggled to breathe, only succeeding to swallow a small amount of blood. Nothing felt broken (yet), but he knew Kage was only toying with him, and they real torture would begin soon if Steve's plan didn't work.

Ilia had tried to help him, but Kage had practically brushed her aside with one attack, pinning her to the wall. Magical shackles clamped around her ankles and wrists, holding her to the wall. Kage had never had so much fun. But there was one thing bothering him. His magic was much weaker then it had been a few minutes ago, when he had been defending himself from the monsters. At first he narrowed it down to too much use of magic, but now he was having second thoughts.

Then it hit him. Taking his gaze away from Joe and looking down, his eyes widened. Where was the Millennium Ring?

His Millennium Eye glowed powerfully and swept through the mind of the blond before him, searching through his memories. It only took a few seconds to find what he was looking for. An image from Joe's memories materialised in his mind, showing when Steve had latched his arms around Kage's shoulders. He watched in shock as the boys left hand grabbed the rope of the Millennium Ring while, as he was blasted away by Kage's magic, the right hand with the dagger cut through the rope without problem.

The brat had taken the Ring without him even realising it! But... what had he done with it? Allowing Joe to crumple to the ground, Kage spun around, then froze.

Bakura stood before him, a blade of emerald green, fiery magic in his right hand - the Millennium Sabre. The light from the blade cast eerie shadows along the tomb-robbers angered features, eye's glowing slightly, also. Taking one step back he raised the blade beside him, holding the hilt with both hands with the point towards Kage. Narrowing his eyes in rage and hate, which now replaced what would have been a sadistic grin millennia ago, his voice hissed, venomous as ever, "May Ammet devour what little heart you have..." 1 He dove forward at Kage, attempting a quick kill with a direct strike through the heart. Unfortunately, Kage summoned a shield just in time. Though it drove through the shield, his assault was slowed enough for Kage to dodge.

"That's rich, coming from a tomb-robber," Kage retorted, summoning a Blade Knight beside him.

"Are you afraid to fight me yourself?" Bakura hissed, readying his sword as the Monster drew it's own. "Do you always hide behind your monsters, coward?"

Kage shrugged with a smirk. "Call me what you will, tomb-robber, I don't respond to imature taunting tactics."

Bakura growled and raised his blade, eyes now glowing faint red colour with his green blade glowed bright, showing his increase in anger. He made short work of Blade Knight, but another monster quickly took it's place. Then another, and another, until Kage summon five at once.

"Let's see how you handle these..." Kage muttered, grinning. There was no way Bakura would be able to fight them all off as easily as the first, they were much stronger, faster and smarter.

"You're... you're a.. a c-coward..."

Kage looked lazily back at Joe's crumpled form, raising an eyebrow as the boy coughed up another large amount of blood. Glancing sideways, he noticed Steve was over with Ilia, trying to find a way to pry the exhausted girl free from the magic that bound her to the wall. Turning his attention back to the blond, he smiled sinisterly. "You should know when you hold your tongue boy..." A narrow wave of magic shot from the Millennium Eye and struck Joe in the chest, causing him to cry out and cough up even more blood, tears of pain mixing with the red liquid on the floor.

"You're just lucky I don't have time for you right now, I have a job to finish." Kage smirked and turned away from Joe, walking calmly over to where Ryoura lay, struggling to breathe, though he still lay unconscious. Kage stood next to the boy and smirked down at him, shaking his head. "Poor Ryoura..." he muttered in a mocking tone, reaching down and catching the front of his shirt, lifting him up and causing his breaths to shorten.

Steve tried desperately to help, but with a simple wave of his hand he was shackled to the wall next to Ilia, only with much tighter shackles. "Bakura!" Steve called, hoping to catch the tomb-robber's attention.

"Save your breath..." Kage muttered, raising his hand towards his dagger lying on the floor a few feet away. The blade hovered up then back to his hand. He turned looked down at Ryoura and narrowed his eyes. "No more games, this ends now." He drew back his dagger and dove it to Ryoura's heart.

A bright white arrow shot the dagger in his hand mere millimetres from Ryoura's chest, knocking the blade out of his hand and sending it flying threw the air momentarily before it exploded into glowing dust, then faded away. Shocked Kage looked to his right, only to see a white, glowing form of Yugi Mouto, with a bow in pointing in Kage's direction. The spirits angered expression softened as his eyes looked over Kage's shoulder. With a playful, unsettling smirk, he lowered his bow an faded to a completely white light, darting up and out of the room in the blink of an eye.

-----------

Mark twirled the Rod lazily in his hand, looking over at the Millennium Puzzle with half-lidded eyes. The centre piece of the Puzzle was still glowing brightly, the monsters standing their ground in front of the Dark Magician Girl while she cradled Yujhi's lifeless form in her arms.

_"This makes no sense... How is the Puzzle still working when Yujhi's gone and no spirit inhabits it? The items only respond to the soul of the owner, why should the Millennium Puzzle act any different?"_ He sighed and stood up. _"There's something messed up here, but sense I can't find out, I'll just eliminate the wall between me and the item._ He looked back at his own monsters and smirked. _No monsters, no game."_

The Dark Magician Girl looked up and narrowed her eyes at Mark. She knew what he was up to, but what could she do about it? Yujhi was gone and only the mysterious power hidden in the Millennium Puzzle was keeping them there. _"We need help..."_ "Seiyaryu go!" Mark point towards Yujhi's monsters. The large, dinosaur-like dragon reared back and released a river of white flames, which made very quick work of Yujhi's Flame Swordsman. The rest of the monsters leapt back, dodging the onslaught of attacks that followed.

"Mark stop!" The Dark Magician Girl yelled, leaping away from one of the attacks while holding Yujhi carefully in her arms. "This isn't part of the game!"

"Who cares. The games over; I've won!" Mark exclaimed before ordering his Sword Hunter to join the battle. The warior had a hard time trying to get any of the monsters, but with the help of Seiyaryu he quickly destroyed Harpies Brother, despite the fly monsters extreme speed. "So much for your friends, now only you and your pet lizard remain..."

The five of Mark's stronger monsters quickly circled the two remaining monsters, each one prepared to attack with great accuracy. Mark smirked at raised his hand, ready to give the order to attack. "It's over..."

-----------

"You have made a grave mistake this day Kage Ishtar..."

Looking back over his shoulder, Kage realised what Yugi had been smiling about. Bakura stood six feet behind Kage, head lowered so his fringe covered his eyes. The blade by his side was still glowing, but only a faint green colour. Save for that, he looked perfectly fine. _"Did those monsters do anything to him?"_

Bakura's grip tightened on his blade and the green flames burned a bright, blood red. Looking up, his normally deep brown eyes had turned a murderous red colour, standing out in his pale features. Raising his blade, he hissed, eye's narrowing and voice loud. "No one hurts my hikari and LIVES!" With one quick swipe of his Millennium Sabre, he tore viciously through Kage's left side, up his back and drove the blade through his stomach, narrowly but skillfully missing Ryoura, all in a single second.

Pulling the blade out, Bakura skidded forward and caught Ryoura's limp form in one arm when Kage's grip dropped. "Ryoura?" he shook the teen lightly, the red in his eyes vanishing instantly at the sight of his hikari so weak. Kage collapsed to his knees in front of him, then to his side, but Bakura paid no attention. The man had died before the second Bakura landed an attack.

The magic holding Steve to the wall let go and he stumbled slightly to the side. When Ilia's disappeared, she yelped and fell down on top of Steve. "Sorry!" she apologized, jumping off him and kneeling next to him, to exhausted to stand. He attention left Steve once he nodded in response and turned to that of her father lying on the floor, pools of blood spilt around it. Steve looked up, also, and frowned. "Ilia..." he looked over at the girl next to him and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Her response came as a complete surprise to him.

"He had it coming..." Ilia spat bitterly, turning her head away to stare at the floor. She smiled weakly at Steve to reassure him, then made her way over to Joe. "Hey, you ok?"

Joe coughed heavily and gritted his teeth. "Never felt better..." he moaned.

"Ryoura, come on..." Bakura whispered. He narrowed his eyes when he got no response, dropping to his knees and sitting the teen down in front of him. Ryoura limply leaned his head against his yami's shoulder, features relaxed but breathing far to slow for Bakura's liking. Hovering one hand a few centimetres over the wound on Ryoura's chest and placing the other on the boy forehead, a soft green glow surrounded him and his hikari. "Don't you dare give up on me..." Bakura whispered, focussing all his energy into sharing his life force and healing Ryoura's injury.

"Is he going to be ok?"

Bakura cast a short glance to the side, simply shaking his head in response to Steve's question. _"I wish I knew... but if he goes so do I."_

Steve shifted slightly (with Joe's arm around his shoulders and Steve being used as the main support for his injured friend, it was hard to keep balance) and frowned. Turning his head to his to his left he looked to Ilia for answers, but she couldn't say anything to ease his anxiety. It was all up to destiny now.

-----------

"No!"

Mark turned around to face the distant voice, but was blinded as a bright force broke through the barrier of the Shadow Realm and a beam of white light shot past him, hitting the floor next to the Dark Magician Girl and forming into shape. Mark's eyes widened when the light dimmed, leaving the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle standing in front of him. "What the... how did you get back?"

"Yujhi!" Yugi turned and darted over to his other half, tearing him from the Magician's arms and kneeling to the floor, the lifeless boys body lying across his lap. He shook the younger boy lightly, but there was no response. "Yujhi wake up... wake up!" he yelled, tears brimming in his eyes. Still no response.

"Yugi..." the Dark Magician Girl frowned, tightening her grip on her staff and biting her lip. "I'm sorry..."

"No... this isn't happening," Yugi muttered, shaking Yujhi again, "Yujhi, please, wake up! Wake up!" His voice was slightly hoarse, his breaths heavy as he attempted to wake his other half. Swallowing hard, he hugged the boy to his chest and buried his face in Yujhi's hair.

Mark narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He was fed up of waiting to get his prize, and he didn't want to wait any longer. "Seiyaryu get them!" Mark ordered, and the dragon obeyed, taking a deep breath and releasing a stream of white flames, aimed straight at Yugi and Yujhi.

The Dark Magician Girl's eyes grew wide and she cried out in warning, "Yugi!"

Yugi's angry eyes snapped open and narrowed at the oncoming flames. Laying his hikari down quickly but carefully, he rose to his feet and raised his left hand above his head, as if reaching for something. Throwing his head back, a white, blinding glow surrounded him once again, he cried to the sky. "Dragons of Light and Destruction, I summon you!"

-----------

"Wh-what's goin' on?" Steve stuttered as a bright light exploded from something in his pocket. With difficulty he managed to hold Joe up with one hand and reach the other into his pocket, taking out the source of the light. "My Blue Eyes?" The cards shone brightly in his hands before a light shot upwards for each one, all three beams intertwining as they travelled, before hitting an invisible barrier and disappearing.

Ilia, who had been watching closely, narrowed her eyes at the spot where the beams disappeared with confusion. "...to the Shadow Realm...?" she whispered curiously.

Bakura's body relaxed and the green light around him vanished. Breathing heavily, he looked down at the boy in his arms. If Bakura was alive, then the spell had been a success, but then why was Ryoura still unconscious? Placing a hand on the teens shoulder he shook him lightly. "Ryoura...?"

-----------

Three Blue Eye's White Dragons appeared behind Yugi and released there White Lightning attacks. Seiyaryu was quickly destroyed, as well as Mark's small army monsters, leaving the teen standing alone in the middle of the Shadow Realm at the mercy of four dragons, a magician and an angry Millennium Spirit. Coughing heavily as the smoke cleared, Mark tightened the grip on his Millennium Rod, looking fearfully up at the monsters before him.

Yugi stood before all his monsters, head lowered and arms hanging limply by his sides. Raising his head slowly, his eyes locked with Mark's. The hatred bore into him like a knife. "You killed him..."

Mark stood up, posture tense but confident. "He lost the Shadow Game. It wasn't my fault he-"

"You killed him..." Yugi whispered harshly, shoulders and fists shaking as he tried to contain his rage. "And you cheated..." a cold scowl spread across Yugi's features, his eyes narrowed in hate.

"N-no I didn't, he-"

"The game was unfair and set up... And you know what? The Shadow Realm doesn't forgive cheaters, _Ishtar_."

-----------

Ryoura groaned and opened his eyes, blurry vision and light head making him feel very smothered. Blinking, he realised he was in an upright position, looking down at a sandy ground. Not only that, but he was floating a foot or so off the ground. "Wha...?" he mumbled to himself, but something gushed directly into his mouth as he spoke. He was under water!

Covering his mouth with both hands, he looked down and spotted a shackle around his ankle was conected to a chain made into a giant rock. He tried tugging lightly, but it didn't budge. Taking his hands from his mouth he gripped the chain and pulled hard, but the jerky movement only served to let him lose a small amount of oxygen. He couldn't escape!

A chuckle surrounded him, one he did not recognise. Echoing through his mind, the voice taunted "Having a nice swim?" the man chuckled again. "It's about time I fed my revenge, _Bakura_..."

The scenery around him changed dramatically, water disappearing and allowing him to land on a black, marble floor. The black, purple and red swirls of the Shadow Realm surrounded him, while silence filled the air. The almost peaceful silence was broken, suddenly, by a cry of pain and heartbreak. Spinning around, Ryoura froze at the sight of his other half, kneeling on the floor, with blood splashed and smeared all over his shirt and pants. His hands were clenched into his fists, blood of the mysterious victim covering his palms, shaking from either fear or shock. "B-Bakura?" Ryoura stuttered, but he made no response.

Bakura shook his head and shut his eye's tight. "How...?" he whispered shakily, falling forward to his hands a knees. "How could this happen...?"

"Bakura?" Ryoura called again, but as he did the image of Bakura broke into many tiny fragments and dissappeared. Looking around, Ryoura spotted Yugi standing a little further away with his back to Ryoura. He was very tempted to call the spirit, but he saw no point. Obviously, no one could hear him.

Yugi crossed his right arm across his chest them swung it right, a shining, silver sword appearing in his hand. He sliced through the air a few times, as if practising, fighting in patterns as though against invisible warriors, before pausing, sword held horizontally above his head, eyes shut as silent tears rolled down his face. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, tightening his grip on the hilt. Slicing downwards, he seemed to cut a hole in the Shadow Realm; a blinding light erupting in the midnight setting. Shielding his eyes, he suddenly became aware that voices were calling him.

"Ryoura...?"

He knew that voice. "Bakura...?" his voice was hoarse and he hurt all over. Forcing his eyes open, he found his vision much more blurred then before. _"At least I'm not under water..."_ he thought, taking a few deep breaths to try and wake himself. It took him a minute or two to realise where he was. Looking up he was surprised to see Bakura looking at him with deep concern in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Bakura asked.

"I think so..." Ryoura tried to raise a hand to press against the side of his pounding head, but his strength was completely gone. As his memory began to return, he remembered Kage and began to panic. "What happened, where is he?"

"Calm down Ryoura, he's gone." Bakura hugged the panicking teen slightly as he spoke. "You don't have to worry about him ever again."

Ryoura looked up at Bakura with confusion. He hadn't paid attention the drops of blood on his other half's shirt before, but now they sparked his attention. Looking sideways, his eyes grew wide at the sight of the dead man lying so nearby. Though horrified at the sight, he was overcome by relief. Sighing heavily and leaning into Bakura again, he whispered, "Thank you..."

Bakura smiled at Ryoura as the teens eyes drifted closed, falling almost instantly into a deep slumber. Looking around, his expression became more serious, remembering the spirit of the Puzzle that had helped them earlier. "Where's Yugi?"

"He... He left." Steve said simply, as if just realising the spirits absence himself, "I don't know where too."

"I do." Ilia stated, looking towards the door. "To fight my brother... come on, we've got to hurry!" 

-----------

Yugi turned his back on the teen and stormed back to his monsters. When he passed the Blue Eye's he slowed to a walk, then paused, looking back at the bewildered teen. In a harsh, cold voice, he whispered two simple words which sealed Mark's fate. "You lose..."

Mark's eyes grew wide as all three Blue Eyes White Dragons roared loudly and released there attacks. He instinctually raised his arms up to protect himself, his scream of agony breaking threw the dead silence of the Shadow Realm. He was going to be banished here, forever!

But all of a sudden someone called out, and the attacks ceased instantly. Collapsing to his knees, all went black as he fell to the ground.

-----------

Bakura sighed heavily, exhausted, as he trudged down the corridor after the others. It was a slow progress; with Steve helping Joe, Ilia exhausted and Bakura carrying a sleeping Ryoura on his back, their pace was slow. After a few minutes Ilia stopped outside the door to Yujhi's room. Taking a deep breath to ready herself for the forces of the Shadow Realm, she placed her hand on the door handle, held her breath, and opened the door.

She was surprised that, insteed of entering a battle-field, she was greeted with an almost deathly silence. Around the plain room, whisps of purple and red still fogged the area, and, though the room was abnormally warm, Ilia couldn't help but shiver. "Hello?" she called, looked around the room. It was impossible to see more then a few feet into the fog.

Bakura stepped into the room next, closely followed by Steve and Joe. Narrowing his eyes at the mist, Bakura walked further into the room with little hesitation. Ilia followed while Steve stayed with Joe, trying to keep the tomb-robber in her sights. He paused suddenly, causing her to bump into him and his hikari. "What's wrong?"

Bakura glance back at her, then lifted his foot and stepped over something, walking on. "Look's like your brother had a hard time in the game."

"What?" Ilia looked down and her eyes grew wide. Mark lay motionless on the floor, numerous burn marks all over his face and arms, and eyes shut tight in pain. "Mark!" She exclaimed in surprise, dropping to her knees beside him and shaking him lightly. Even if he was evil, he was still her little brother, and she cared deeply for him. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she looked down at her younger sibling, "You idiot..."

She almost jumped out of her skin when he coughed and opened his eyes. Blinking weakly a few times, his gaze finnally landed on her, "Ilia?"

"You're ok!" Ilia exclaimed, hugging her brother tightly. He only gave her a weak hug back, but she was happy for it. "I was so worried..." Then a thought struck her. "Did... did you win?"

Mark coughed and shook his head.

"Then how are you...?"

"Yugi." Mark responded simply. Releasing his grip on her, he lay back down on the floor and looked up at Ilia. "He... spared me. After everything I did, he called off his monsters attack and spared me..."

Ilia was shocked. She knew Yugi was a nice enough guy, but if she was in the same situation she may have let the person to the Shadow Realm. "Wow..." She had been told how forgiving and merciful Yugi was, but she had never really believed it. "So... everything's ok?" she asked. There was no answer. "Mark...?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes through the cloud and groaned, _"Stupid fog always takes so long to clear when opened in a small area..."_ Looking back at Ryoura he frowned. The teen was uncomfortable in the area, even in his sleep. Subconsciously, he reached up and touched the Ring around Bakura's neck, drawn to it's magic. "Good idea..." Bakura mumbled with a smile. Concentrating his energy, he used the magic of the item to clear a five foot radius around him. "Yugi? Yujhi?" he called, but got no response. _"Come on, the room's not THAT big..."_

"B-Bakura?"

Bakura froze and looked to his left, just as Yugi stumbled towards him from the windowsill. "Yugi? What's wrong?"

Yugi looked like he could hold himself, but dropped to his knees all of a sudden. Surprised, Bakura knelt down in front of him. "Yugi? What is it?" he asked, placing his hand on one of the boy's shaking shoulder's.

Yugi looked up at Bakura, tears flowing from his large violet eyes, filled with such pain and hurt, Bakura's heart ached. "Yujhi's gone... he's gone forever..."

-----------

To Be Continued

-----------

1 Egyptians believed that, if a person lived a sinful life, in death their heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma'at (Justice). If ones heart was evil, it would outway the feather and be eaten by the Swallowing Monster (Ammet). To Egyptians, their heart was their centre of being, so to have it eaten by the Ammet is the greatest dishonour, insult and fate; it was like everything they ever were was destroyed.

Oh God... can't believe I wrote that... Despressin' endin' huh...?  
If it was the end that is! Epilogue comin' up and, as said at the top, one more story. Then it WILL be the end, promise yaz.  
**Ryoura:** Then I'll be gone...  
Wa! No! -glomps- I figure out somit else for you!  
**Ryoura:** ??  
... Anyway, hope you enjoyed the part everyone! See ya next time in the epilogue! Oh and Yujhi, you can stay with me and Ryoura now!  
**Ryoura:** Yay! Company!  
**Yujhi:** _Lucky me..._  
I heard that! **Yujhi:** I didn't say anything!  
I heard your thoughts... **Yujhi:** O.O; Help me...  
heehee... welp, slán slán for now peeps, please drop in a review!  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



	15. Epilogue

Hey everyone! I wanna thank anybody who's bothered to read this far. You guys are the best! Thanks for sticking to me this whole time! I understand the next story won't have half as many readers, but I guess I'll just have to work with what I've got, though it's depressin' so many peeps probably don't care anymore... ah well! I'm gonna shut up. Enjoy the epilogue peeps!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 

"This is talking"  
_'These are thoughts'_

** Epilogue **

Ryoura yawned heavily as he dragged his bag down the stairs, ignoring the extremely loud thumping noises it was making as if connected with each step. He hadn't had much sleep the last few nights, not since the night they left the Ishtar's. He knew part of his lack of sleep was the loss of one of his best friends, but his main problem was the nightmare he kept visiting whenever he fell asleep. It was the same every time; he was start under water, with that cold, evil voice around him. The next thing he knew he'd be in the Shadow Realm with Bakura, then Yugi. He hadn't told Bakura about his reoccurring dream, he didn't want to burden the spirit with minor problems when they both had bigger things to worry about.

After Yugi had calmed down a little and everyone had been healed or treated at the hospital and sent home, the group had met at the Bakura's house and decided what to do about their situation (Ryoura had been asleep on the couch, unable to stay awake for longer than a few minutes). When he woke up and found everybody gone, Bakura explained their plan of action. Yugi was planning to travel to Egypt (Ryoura and Bakura were going too, whether Yugi liked it or not) in search for clues that may help them find and save Yujhi. It was a long shot, but Yugi was convinced that there had to be some way to bring the boy back.

"Come on Pepper!" Ryoura called up the stairs after a few minutes of waiting, "Old age slowin' ya down?"

A very sleepy Bakura walked down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Shut up... it's not my fault I need more sleep than you."

"That's 'cause you're old," Ryoura said with a grin, picking up his back and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Whatever..." Bakura mumbled, slinging the strap of his bag of his shoulder too. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

-

...for Egypt now boarding.  
Yugi growled, arms folded, as the girl finished announcing his flight. _"Where are they?"_ he thought, frustrated. Ryoura and Bakura said they'd be here on time, yet Steve, Joe and Ilia had all arrived and there was no sign on the two white-haired boys. Shaking his head he bent down and picked up his bag, turning the leave. It was that very second that Ryoura and Bakura rounded the corner and literally crashed into the group standing near Yugi. Looking back, Yugi couldn't even smile at the pile of friends all tangled together.

"Joe get off my arm!"

"When your girlfriend gets off me!"

"Ow! Bakura your lying on my hair!"

"Don't you yell at me Ishtar!"

"Heehee! Doggie pile!"

"You wouldn't... Ryoura! No!"

"OW!" Everyone chorused, followed by a groan. Ryoura giggled and rolled to the side, receiving death glares from the rest of the group. "Ryoura I'm gonna kill you." Bakura grumbled.

"Guys," Yugi called in a low, angry voice. When he caught their attention, he pointed upwards. "Our flight?"

"Crud, are we really that late?" Ryoura asked, pulling himself to his feet. Frowning at Yugi's angered expression, he turned and helped the others back to their feet, then began saying their goodbyes, shaking hands and wishing each other well. Joe gave Ryoura a hug (the two had been friends since Ryoura was little and very shy) and ordered them all to look out for each other. "Remind me why you guys can't come too..." Ryoura pouted.

"My brother's comin' home in two days and mom wants me to stay," Joe shrugged. "Dunno why, it's not like he'd care if I was there or not, just one less person to annoy..."

"I'm headin to Canada to meet my dad. I promised I'd help him with work on the new theme park rides being installed there," Steve explained.

"And I have to sort the police out concerning my fathers death. After that I promise I'll come to help," Ilia finished, the other two nodding in agreement.

Ryoura smiled and looked back at Yugi. The puzzle spirit hadn't moved. "I guess we better be going before our flight leaves." He turned and gave everyone, even Ilia, a hug. "I'll miss ya guys."

"Right back at ya," Joe said, giving him a thumbs up.

After everyone said their farewells (Ryoura anyway, Bakura and Yugi stayed silent), the group made there way to the plane in silence. Ryoura didn't know why they were so distant all of a sudden, but he decided it was best not to disturb them.

Yugi sat himself near the window, putting on his seatbelt straight away, as if that would help the flight start quicker. He was anxious to get the land of his puzzle's origin, and, more importantly, the Shadow Realm. Images of that day haunted his dreams; of Yujhi's lifeless form in his arms, hanging limply as Yugi shook him. His ice cold skin when Yugi held him close; the look of agony in his features, even though his soul had already passed.

_Yugi should have been there to protect him!_

Tears sprung to Yugi's eyes when that thought crossed his mind. _"I should have put him first... I should have never gone to meet Ilia..."_ Though he had said no when he found Yujhi's life was in danger, he still felt he had been selfish, leading to this entire problem. _"I'll find you Yujhi... I promise... I'll find you even if I have to search the entire world a million times."_ That was an honest vow to himself as well as to Yujhi. He would never stop looking for him. Ever.

The plane took flight after a few minutes. Because of the improvement of technology over the centuries, it would only take a few hours for the three off then to get to Eqypt.

What they didn't know, was that there was a _forth_ member in the group, invisible to the eye and oblivious to senses both human and magical. Hovering as a dark shadow behind the three, the man chuckled. He was not there for the Puzzle, nor the Ring, however...

No... he was there to _kill_...

-

The End...

-

Ooo... weird? I think so!  
**Ryoura:** CREEPY MAN-hides behind Bayleef-  
**Yujhi:** And so starts _another_ story...  
You got a problem with that-glares-  
**Yujhi:** -backs away- N-n-n-no, none! None at all-grins nervously-  
Thats better... Well, so ends another section my my story, but there's still one left! Poor all o' you...  
Welp, can't wait to get the next one up, just hope I get time to work on it (NOT BLOODY LIKELY! EVEIL SCHOOL!)  
**Please review and slán slán for now!**  
Bay Bay!  
Bayleef  



End file.
